


Strand of Mementos

by JostineKyok14



Category: Death Stranding (Video Games), Death Stranding (Video Games) RPF, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Fusion, F/F, F/M, Kinda persona 5 storyline mixed, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Slow Burn, Warnings May Change, shumako
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:01:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24050242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JostineKyok14/pseuds/JostineKyok14
Summary: To see a world in a grain of Sand.And a heaven in a wild flower.Hold infinity in the palm of your hand.And eternity in an hour.A cataclysmic called The strand of mementos is changing the nature as we know it.Living and Dead is one by a strand and cognition.A porter with his friends would try to reconect the world and fight for this cause.He would be the rope and the stick to bring the good to this world.And save humanity and mankind to a new Era.Persona 5 in the world of Death stranding
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Niijima Makoto, Isshiki Wakaba/Sakura Sojiro, Kurusu Akira/Niijima Makoto, Niijima Makoto/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Well this is my frankenstein of fic. People know that I like persona, but I like metal gear and kojima cus his games the narrative are from another world.  
> But death stranding was like another way to think and experience something new. And also a way to see the world that we are living right now with the pandemic in a sense.  
> I don't know if you are one the people who like or didn't like death stranding but when I see the game it could fit well on the persona perspective, and that's why I thought to make this fic. 
> 
> I don't have a schedule to post a chapter but when is ready I post it. That's a thing that I need to look for.
> 
> Hope that you like this and I want see this fic finished.
> 
> Shouts to @Real_Ian_MD to help me on this. He is the guy who review my fic first after releasing it. So I thankful for his help.
> 
> P.S: Also I'm gonna add songs. I tried to make and mp3 format but it didn't get well, if someone knows more about this I would appreciate the help.  
> For now I added a link to the songs to know the ambience that it needs. If you don't want to hear it is ok. You can still read it.

**_“Once there was an explosion. A bang that created time and space.”_ **

**_"Once there was an explosion. A bang that sent a planet spinning in that space."_ **

**_"Once there was an explosion. A bang which gave rise to life as we know it."_ **

**_"And then came the next explosion... An explosion that'll be our last."_ **

**_“Life could change drastically by the nature of evolution.”_ **

**_“People who live this play, play for these points.”_ **

**_“But it also means that there are stakes in this game.”_ **

**_“No one is safe from what is seen out there.”_ **

**_“So, rules are made to prevent extinction and keep humanity safe.”_ **

**_“However… these rules have flaws.”_ **

**_“Flaws that create a new form of chaos. People who know of this can exploit it and take advantage of men and women.”_ **

**_“Meaning that these ruthless actions are not condoned by the people, as they have no knowledge of said flaws.”_ **

**_“People would tell that they are well aware of these rules, but are probably afraid to challenge those who control the city.”_ **

**_“There who don’t know what is happening or are ignorant, are such because they don’t want to create problems for the fear of losing.”_ **

**_“Corruption is the control of those who are in high ranks or terrorists controlling where they want to create their own rules.”_ **

**_“Right when the world is suffering by this cataclysmic event that humanity is trying to adapt and survive.”_ **

**_“Now, you might be asking yourself, ‘is there hope for this to change when the stakes are high?’”_ **

**_“When rules fail, when society fails, when there is danger outside and… when this cataclysm is dominating the nature of the world as we know it?_ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_“The answer would be no.”_ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_“For a normal person, we refer.”_ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_“But not for_ ** **a _man.”_**

**_“A man that can link us.”_ **

**_“This man has a gift. A gift that shows a sign of hope for humanity.”_ **

**_“The mass of this cataclysm cannot fathom the nature of this individual.”_ **

**_“He is the bridge that the future needs.”_ **

**_“When you first lay eyes on him, you would probably say that he is just a porter with no contact to anyone.”_ **

**_“Since he just keeps delivering packages.”_ **

**_“But in reality, he is a man that can reconnect us and this fragmented world.”_ **

**_“And he would not be alone.”_ **

**_“He would not be alone for this task.”_ **

**_“This journey that he begun is full of risks that he chose to take.”_ **

**_“And we would follow him.”_ **

**_“Because we share something that connect us to him.”_ **

**_“Something that we suffer for. As fate strands us together without even shaking hands.”_ **

**_“Reconnecting the people is a merciless game.”_ **

**_“But not for a trickster… not for a Joker… not for a Phantom.”_ **

**_“With the Justice that him and I share, and, of course, that of our companions…”_ **

**_“This story will be told throughout the country… perhaps even the world.”_ **

**_“Just remember we are not just porters delivering packages.”_ **

**_“We are the Phantom Porters.”_ **

**_“It’s Showtime.”_ **

****

**On Road to the destiny**

On a grey plain land of Japan, with small portions of green pigments of vegetation, a bus with passengers rides during the evening by the road without hindrance. In that bus, a porter comes from a town with fault on his life. Fault that came by a decision on what to expect but also with fear of what is coming. The porter from Inaba knot city, a man with wavy unkempt black hair, dark gray eyes and glasses is sitting on the back without talking to anyone, as he waited to reach his destination. His name is Amamiya Ren.

He is on his way to Tokyo knot city where he will be staying for quite a while. Probably until his issue is resolved... Tokyo knot city is the big city where a good number of refugees are living, and it’s also the main quarters where the 5 delivering companies are established. Ren would be assigned on one of them, if he got to the town and found his bunker, that is.

As he watched the land passing by, he sees birds flying about. Seeing as they were flying quickly, he assumed the reason for their hurry:

 ** _“Timefall approaches in 5 minutes.”_** The intercom on the bus said.

_‘Just as I thought…’_

As he heard the announcement, his mind wandered back to the reason people were so afraid to go out: the Timefall is an otherworldly rain that accelerates the progress of time within nearly all life it encounters. Almost everyone is aware of its existence and effect, along with the knowledge that it can also pour down as snow or hail. While the general public was afraid, porters knew that if you didn’t let it touch your skin, it wouldn’t affect you.

The issue is that, when the Timefall came, so did Shadows…

“Another Voidout?” A woman’s voice from the back of the truck got the young man’s attention.

“Shh, not so loud!” her friend replies in a hushed, commanding tone. “The news said that it was close to Sapporo.”

“Geez! I hope that the crater doesn’t affect to the city too badly…” The first woman said worriedly.

“I heard that there is also one nearby.” The other woman continued, “I don’t know if the government is creating any new rules, but they really aren’t helping any of the victims.”

The first woman frowns. “Yeah, more Voidouts… there could be more people in danger... I find it scary that they think more about creating more rules rather than the safety of the people...”

Ren’s attention drifts to the coming Timefall. They weren't talking about anything important, just rumors and events that the general public is becoming more aware of... it’s not like talking about the situation will change it.

The frizzy-haired young man just wants to arrive to his destination with no hiccups.

**Tokyo knot city**

The bus arrived to its destination. Ren wanted to leave it quickly, but got blocked by many people, being the last one to step out of the vehicle. Staying in the position he did for so long, his body was hurting, and he just wanted to take a walk. As he walks, he sees the city’s giant wall and through it the Waystation close to the gate. He would need to go to the building to create his identification and to learn where he would stay. Carrying his bag and Odradek on his back, he passes the gate and enters the building.

After some time in the line, he just wants to get to his turn so he could finally rest… why did this service take so long? During his wait, he sees some porters with vehicles to make deliveries or go on a mission to retrieve lost cargo. They could be doing one of many things, depending on how the cargo was lost; either by terrorists or by Shadows. He shook that thought away, as he just wanted to rest and not plan for a mission that wasn’t his.

“Next one.” A man’s voice called out. The young man saw he was next, so he stepped closer to him. “Hmm a porter… You must be a new one.” He remarked, to which Ren nodded. “Welcome to Tokyo Knot city. You look young for a porter that’ll help this district.” The man noted. “May I have your name young man?”

“Amamiya. Amamiya Ren.” He said. The man’s eyes widened and his mouth opened with a perplexed expression. Ren thought he had seen a ghost. “Um, hello?” He called out to the man who kept staring at him with a wave of his hand.

“…oh, right, sorry! I just… didn’t expect the porter from Inaba here.” He exclaimed. “Well, you wanna know where you’ll stay, right?”

“Yeah.” The young man nodded.

“Well I’m glad that you are here, but your stop is not here on the district.” The man told Ren with a tinge of regret. “You should go to the Waystation building so that you can have all the details of where it is.”

Ren sighed and looked at him. “Do you think I’ll have to do a job before getting there?” He asked with concern.

“Probably.” The man guessed as the young man sighed. “I can tell that you know the way to Waystation, so don’t worry; you know what to do.” The man moved from his position to make way to the porter.

Ren nodded to the man and then slowly made his way to the Waystation. It’s underground, so he just needs to go down there and reach the terminal for his orders. He reaches activates it, seeing his orders tagged by his name. He presses it and finds a log of his cargo, finding an explanation of where he is supposed to go, and the contents of his delivery.

 _‘The cargo seems fragile, but they want me to go outside. Are they gonna help me out of the district?’_ He thought to himself, formulating scenarios in his head.

He looks at the content of the cargo: 3 medium packages of plates and cups. The man who asked for these goes by **The Hierophant.**

 _‘Why would he call himself a tarot card? Okay… ah, never mind, just do this, deliver what this guy needs and call it a day. You’ll probably never see him again after this, anyway.’_ He thought, noting his disdain for the tarot name.

As soon as Ren accepts the cargo, a hologram appears in the terminal, showing a middle-aged man with slick dark hair and a receding hairline, glasses and grey eyes wearing an apron. He looked at the young man and put a hand to his hip.

_ “You must be the guy. Look I know giving you this is a kind of a pain in the ass when you just arrived in Tokyo, but you are the closest person to where I live. You’re gonna be staying with me, so make sure to get here quickly, got it?” _

Then, 3 packages appear on the conveyor belt close to the terminal. The gray-eyed young man proceeds to grab them, put them in his backpack and prepares for his journey. He could try to get a bike, but his ass hurt from sitting down so much, so he opted to walk. Besides, other porters were already using all the vehicles. He noticed, while grabbing everything from the terminal, that the last one that left was a bike, which was used by someone who calls themselves the **High Priestess**. Again, with the tarot naming, huh? Was naming yourself after tarot cards commonplace here?

As he finished getting ready to walk, he noticed other porters going back to their houses or going to the station, most likely to find another job. He wished the way to his new home would be short so he could rest.

At that moment, however, Ren sensed… an aura…? That was the word that came to his mind as his body became alert.

The feeling was similar to when he sensed Shadows out of the district, except…here it was calmer.

Suddenly, the people around him just stopped moving.

He noticed he could move, but everyone else was frozen in place...

What was going on?

This almost felt like time had stopped, somehow.

Before he could process anything else, a blue flame swirled violently from the main gate, emitting a strangely familiar warmth.

A blue flame appears close to the gate with black strands around.

Inside that blue flame, he saw a red form with… a face and wings? The flame swirled until it fit this form, and then…

He sees a mirror image of himself emerging from the flame, only... it had yellow eyes and a sadistic smirk as it stared deep into his own, now wide, gray eyes.

After a flash of white, everything came back to normal. People around his started moving as if nothing had happened and the flames were gone. He didn’t understand what had just happened as he just stared at the gate, wondering what he had just seen…

“Hey man, are you ok? You seem like you just saw a ghost!” The man beside the gate call out to him with a wave as he lets out a surprised gasp, which made some people stare at him. He approached the man.

“Excuse me, but did you notice anything… weird, close to the gate?” Ren asked worriedly.

“What, you mean like Shadows?” He asked, which made the young man’s mind click. Did… did he just see a Shadow? And, if it was one, was it different, somehow? Without even realizing, he nodded. “No, man, shadows can’t get here. Are you crazy?” The man responded with an odd face.

The frizzy-haired young man looked toward the gate again. He was sure of what he just saw… well, he was sure he _saw_ it, but not what it was…

“Look man, either you were just dreaming or hallucinating.” The man continued, as the young man just inspected the gate and its surroundings. “Hey, you listening?” The man asked in an annoyed tone, wondering if the boy was mocking him.

[ ** Music: Low Roar-Don’t be so serious. ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asxjkErbwNc)

“Never mind... it might have just been my imagination. Had a long day.” Ren lied, trying to move on and avoid too much judgment.

“If you say so.” The man responded, moving back to his original position.

The gray-eyed young man sighed. “Well, time to go.” Ren passed through the gate, electing to ignore what just happened to him for now. If he finished this quickly, he could rest as soon as he got there.

“Good luck and I hope to see you again, man.” The man waved at him from the gate as Ren nodded and started to walk to this “Hierophant’s” place...

Towards his new home.

_‘Leblanc Coffee & Curry, here we go’._

_\--------_

Ren kept calmly going towards his delivery point for 30 min until he noticed a problem.

The route that the terminal gave didn’t notify him that there was cliff obstructing the way. This wasn’t something that made him angry, but if he had the tools, he could just build a bridge and arrive at his new house earlier...

 _‘Sucks that it’ll take longer than I thought, but this isn’t the end of the world. Just gotta find a way around this cliff.’_ Ren thought to himself as he turned around and started walking. _‘I’m already used to these types of situations, so what could possibly go wrong?’_

Then, the sound of thunder broke the silence, making the boy look up at the sky. Gray ominous storm clouds quickly started to hide the sun and its rays.

“ ** _Timefall approaches in 5 minutes._ ”** The codec on his ear warned him as he sighed annoyingly.

_Dammit why on this time._

Ren needed something to get away from the rain. He had a hood in his porter suit, which would protect him, but this wouldn’t protect the cargo. If the rain fell on the packages, it could ruin not only the casing, but the items inside...

 _‘Jumping to the other side is a no-go.’_ Ren dully noted in his mind as he looked around, noticing a small hill behind him, and on it…

 _‘A cave… I think I can climb up there in 5 minutes’._ He thought the challenge fun as he quickly started to climb the hill with relative ease. There were some platforms, most likely built by other porters, on the sides of the hill that helped him get there more easily.

The last platform he reached was near the cave. He analyzed it, wondering if the rain would reach him there.

_“This seems relatively dry. Could work.”_

As he was about to enter it, he noticed a blue and platinum bike parked off to the side. He grabbed his Odradek and ordered it to scan the nearby area and the cave, picking up on any details he may have missed, such as more details of terrain, lost cargo and any vehicles nearby. The object indicated that he was relatively safe here, and it was calculating an easy way down the hill. He saw that, on the other side of the hill, there was a clean, 60º dirt path, which would explain how the reverse bike ended up here. Now that he stopped to look at it, he noticed that it belonged to the High Priestess.

_‘The bike I saw back there… why is it here?’_

He noticed some lost cargo attached on the bike, along with its key that had a panda charm. He recognized the panda as on of an old tv show from his childhood. Now that he noticed the panda, he saw that the cargo was also related to that show.

 _‘Cute. Whoever this Priestess is, they have good taste.’_ He thought with a smile. ‘ _Did they leave it behind because they were attacked? If that’s the case, maybe I could’ve helped them if I left sooner…’_

_“ **Timefall approaches in 30 seconds.** ”_

The codec notified him again, this time in a louder volume. The bike was outside the cave, which meant the rain would damage it irreparably. He brings it inside the cave as quick as possible, balancing his cargo with the weight of the bike as to not drop anything. As he parked it, he noticed some wild animals hiding there as well, looking scared at the sky. He gave them a knowing smile and gave them some leftover food he had. Even though he couldn’t help them much, he couldn’t resist doing what he could. He heard a drop of rain fall on the ground outside, followed by many, many more, as the cycle of life and death began anew outside his shelter.

Ren put his backpack by a safe wall, then the Odradek on top of the backpack, while closing its battery. Then, he takes of his coat and sleeveless vest and places them in a rock nearby, not wanting them to get dirty. He stood shirtless with a scar on his belly, putting his glasses on the pockets of his pants and fixing his black gloves. He starts to massage his shoulders gently while the rain poured.

After he finished his massage, he decided to kill some time by grabbing a book to read. As he grabbed it, though, it slipped from his hands and fell on a puddle of water on the floor, making him sigh annoyingly. He crouched to grab it, but a water droplet fell on his dorsal hand. It left a mark in that area. He tsked in annoyance and tried to grab it agai-

His body shivered suddenly as he felt threatened. He felt danger in that cave, as he slowly and carefully turns his head to the right. His hand and arm begin to turn red and marks of bare hands start to appear on his body. As he panicked, not knowing what this was, he noticed a dark, masked silhouette was approaching the cave. Something told him that it wasn’t human as he froze.

 _‘A shadow?_ _It seems to be alone…. I don’t think it’s dangerous, but…I don’t want to risk it.’_

The shadow got close to him. He could see the handprints and the liquid oil dripping into his book. He kept quiet and motionless; noting that even the animals nearby froze, too. The shadow didn’t move until it left to the other direction. He felt like he could move again...

He exhaled lowly, trying to grab his book again, only to be startled by a white-gloved hand holding his arm in place. From this startle, he looked to the source of the hand: a young woman with a bob cut brunette hair, wearing a French-braid styled headband that matches her hair color, Ren thought it was part of her hair. Her eyes looked… abnormal, but beautiful. At first glance, they seemed to be dark brown, but as he focused on her, he noticed they were nearly crimson colored... Her attire consisted of an elegant black suit with a scarf on her neck, which he deduced gave her good mobility and kept her warm. An odd detail on this already odd young woman was that there were portruding spikes on both her shoulders, sewn into the fabric for protection…?

She covered his lips with her index finger and pointed to his cargo with her other hand. Moving his head slowly to the left, he saw that the shadow was still there, only examining the area. He must have made some sound by mistake, because at that moment, the shadow immediately turns its head toward Ren and the young woman, heading their way. Both reacted by pining themselves against the wall, the young red-eyed woman covering her nose and mouth quickly but quietly as the gray-eyed young man did the same. The Shadow got so close to them, Ren thought it would attack and kill him at that moment. His heart beat faster and he started to sweat… was he really going to be killed by a lone Shadow as right after what he had gone through? He kept staring at it until it suddenly roared and ‘ran’ outside, chasing one of the animals that tried to escape, catching it and making it scream before world became quiet once more. The two saw another Shadow peek into the cave and, after apparently not seeing anything in it, heading to the direction of its comrade.

The young woman relaxed, her hand falling limply to her side as a tear ran down her face. The same happened with Ren. He felt terrified. Never in any of his encounters with Shadows had they acted this way… Both slowly made their way to the front of the cave, looking to the sky. The rain had stopped and, in its place was a reversed rainbow. Only… there were 5 silhouettes under it, and they seemed to be staring at the young couple.

The events of today hit Ren with a bat as he looked to the silhouettes and to the beautiful young woman beside him. He felt scared, confused, tired and, most importantly, endangered as he watched her expression of fear, as she unknowingly grabbed his hand tightly. Little did they know that, at that moment, an important journey awaited these two porters.

###  **PROLOGUE: A PORTER.**


	2. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys sorry for the delay. Here is chapter 2.
> 
> I'll try always to get the chapter when the circumstances are right.
> 
> Enjoy like always

The two kept staring at the 5 floating figures, mesmerized by them, unsure of what they were, until they disappeared. She kept looking to the spot with wary eyes until she let out a sigh.

“I think they’re gone…” She said with relief as she whiped the tears that ran down her face with her right hand. Ren kept looking at her, mesmerized; she was beautiful, and seemed to share his pain...

He never saw many female porters during his time as one… maybe women didn’t want to take as many risks? If that was the case, she was an exception. Though, no matter who you are, Shadows will always scare people... speaking of which, he noticed that she was holding onto his arm for dear life.

“Umm. Miss?” He spoke up gently, making her look at him. Her red orbs looked at him with attention and care, the kind he never felt before. He almost felt bad to ask her this, but… “Can you let go of my arm, please?... it’s starting to hurt.”

“Oh!” The woman released his arm quickly. “Uhm… sorry. I didn’t mean to get frightened by these and... grab you so hard.” She grabs her left arm with her right hand anxiously. He noticed she kept stealing glances of him and then shifted them to the ground. Was she staring at his abs? He smiled; he worked hard to earn them! Since he wasn’t as embarrassed as her, he noticed that her features were red, which made him chuckle lowly.

“It’s ok,” Ren said calmly. “You were just trying to help me not get screwed over by that Shadow.” He looks to the side and crouches to grab his book, hoping it didn’t sustain too much damage. The woman tries to see Ren’s face, noticing tears running down his face, as well.

“Tears...” She pondered. “A chiral allergy…So you have **DOOMS** like me.” He nodded, his small smile turning into a frown.

“I got the extinction factor-” He replied lowly, focusing on his book, noticing that the dirt ruined some pages. “-but I think you got me beat.” He said jokingly.

“What’s your level?” She asked curiously before letting out a small gasp. “Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to pry.”

“No worries.” Ren replied while grabbing his scathered clothes, as she tried not to stare at him. “I can only sense them; can’t see ‘em.”

“So you’re a level two, then.” She confirmed aloud with a smile, for some reason.

He put his coat and glasses on before looking at her with a perplexed face. “How did you get here when it was raining?”

“I can make the Jump-” The woman told showing the umbrella on her hip. “-but not perfectly. I can only appear on the same spot I marked, but I can’t move to another point of Japan yet.” He noticed she frowned and looked at the ground while explaining. Most people who know how to Jump can do so anywhere, so she probably started learning how to do so recently.

“If you’re sad that you can’t fully do a Jump yet, don’t. Nobody starts out perfect.” He speaks up, getting the sudden urge to comfort her. “But you will get it when the moment comes.”

“Thank you.” The woman gives Ren a bright smile for the comment.

Ren tried to put his coat with difficulty, looking at the bike in the entrance of the cave. A question quickly popped up in his mind.

“So, you must be the High Priestess?” He asked calmly, which made her look at him with a tilted head.

“Um... excuse me, but could you repeat your question?” She asked confusedly.

“Are you the High Priestess?” He asked again, puzzled.

She looked at him with a perplexed expression, putting a hand on her chin. “High priestess... I’m afraid I don’t follow.”

“I mean the owner of this bike? It’s written on its side.” He pointed to it.

[ ** The Timefall | Death stranding Ludvig Forsell ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGcityhhVtM)

“I am the owner of this bike but I can assure you that my name or codename is not High Priestess.” She reassured him, looking at the name written on the side of the bike. Only then did she notice she didn’t introduce herself, though with a confused expression. “Oh, I’m sorry! Where are my manners?” She stands upright and stares directly at him. “Nice to meet you. I’m Niijima Makoto from **NIIJIMA EXPRESS**.” She bowed her head.

“I’m Amamiya Ren; Porter.” Ren bowed respectfully. He stands upright. “But the tag of the bike says High Pries-” He says, pointing to the bike.

When his gaze arrives at the tag, it’s changed. It says... _“ Niijima Makoto_. _”_ He looked at it, confusion evident on his face.‘ _What?! Her name wasn’t here before…’_

“Amamiya-kun… are you all right?” She asked worriedly, scanning his face.

“Oh sorry… must’ve read it wrong while thinking of something else...” Ren lied quickly, not wanting to stay on the topic that made him seem insane. He felt tired at that moment and noticed that Niijima was still staring at him, so he decided to tell a half-truth. “I just got here. I’m from the country and I had… quite the long day.” He said as he put his glasses on and stretched.

 _‘Odd...’_ She tought, but decided not to judge the man she just met. “So, your name is Amamiya Ren, correct?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I’m a porter, here to help the district. So we may bump into each other quite a lot from now on.” He said jokingly.

 _‘So, this is the infamous porter I kept hearing about. I better not bring this up with him as of now, but poor man… getting sent out of Inaba simply because they couldn’t treat his DOOMS, almost as if he never belonged there… awful behavior. He must be quite lonely…’_ She thought to herself, seeing him straighten himself out. _‘But… what does the Minister want off him…?’_

“Makoto, you all right?” The young man asked, waving his right hand at her.

“Sorry… I was lost in my thoughts,” She replied quickly, making sure to keep her focus on the person in front of her rather than on her mind. “You are the porter from Inaba that we heard about.” She began, “I never saw a porter that recently arrived already carrying packages. Was the company out of personnel?” She asked as the frizzy-haired boy grabbed his equipment.

“My guardian is the client of this cargo,” He told her. “He asked me to deliver this as a favor to Leblanc; a Coffee & Curry shop.” He omitted the tarot card naming… “I’m trying to get to the other side of that cliff.” He said, pointing to it.

The brunette sighed. “I made a complaint about making a bridge, but it probably didn’t reach the porters since the government is occupied at the moment…” She said with pity and sadness, a detail Ren noticed… but he didn’t know that the government was doing something here…. Something didn’t add up here.

 _‘Government… That’s odd; what does the minister have to do with connecting her andthe porters in this?’_ His line of thought was interrupted by The Pries--Makoto.

“Don’t worry about this for now… maybe you could do the favor when you are settled in somewhere.” Makoto offered him. “Since you just arrived, and you don’t have permission to use the materials yet. Also, I guess today is your lucky day.” Ren looked at her confused. “Leblanc is close to the Yongen-Jaya Waystation and I got some business to attend there.” She looked at him with a warm smile. “I want to give you a ride there, as thanks for protecting it from the rain.”

Ren smiled at her offer. “Well I just sheltered your bike because the rain could destroy your bike’s battery and your cargo…” He started in a joke-y tone. “But if the thanks I get is going to Leblanc in style…. I’d be grateful. That cliff ain’t helping.” He finished honestly.

She smiled. “Well then, that settles it!” She positions her Reverse bike and mounts it. “You can attach some of the cargo on the bike, Amamiya-kun. It can carry quite a lot of it, as you may have noticed.” She said as Ren attached his two packages to the bike and strapped one on his back, sitting on back on the bike.

“Is it fast enough to make the jump?” He asked worriedly, to which Makoto smirked, turning her head to see him.

“You’ll see.” She taunted him, turning on the engine “You should probably wear this.” She said, handing him a black mask with… sunglasses? Its design was confusing… He put away his glasses, and right as he put it on, she proceeded to passes the 60º dirt path that Ren’s Odradek spotted, arriving closer and closer at the cliff. Ren could see her preparing for the jump off of a dirt ramp.

“You better hold on to me. We are going full speed.” She warned him, to which he obeyed her command. She proceeded to reach max speed, leaning forward as Ren held onto her for dear life, not used to this feeling. As they were about to jump, she leaned forward some more, and as they passed the dirt ramp, she brought her whole body up, as if trying to make her bike go even higher. The young man did the same simply because he thought she knew what she was doing. Both stayed in the air for about 5 seconds, but they felt much longer. In one moment, the young man saw the depths of the cliff staring at him, almost swallowing him… the next, the bike hit the ground fiercily, and as soon as it did, it ran forward again. Ren was impressed by the confidence that Makoto showed, as she simply smirked back at him. He smiled at her as both headed towards their destination.

_\--------_

On the road, he noticed that there was a lot more green to the landscape than he imagined. He thought most of the scenario would simply be rocky, but there were signs of life.

“Enjoying the view?” Makoto asked, almost telepathically knowing what was going on in his mind.

“Yeah. Didn’t expect to see vegetation here ‘cause I didn’t know the Timefall went out so far.” Ren replied happily.

“This is one of the few places where the timefall does reach.” Makoto affirmed while driving her bike. “Just a word of advice: there are terrorists in this area, so watch out for them if you need to deliver anything on foot.” She told him worriedly, to which he nodded, thinking that they wouldn’t be a problem as long as he kept his guard up. “We are getting close to Yongen-Jaya, Amamiya-kun” She told him on a high tone.

“Right.” He said as he looked around the area. He opened his mouth to tell her something else, but decided against it. So, he just held onto her as they neared their destination.

**Yongen-Jaya Waystation.**

They arrived at their stop shortly after. He saw the structure and some parked vehicles. The town looked rustic and abandoned, yet with life somehow. There were a lot of buildings, yet it was open and very calming.

Makoto parked her bike at the Waystation’s entrance. “Well, here we are, Amamiya-kun.” Ren got off from the bike and unattached his cargo. “This is where we part ways. Leblanc Coffee & Curry is located near a mountain; just go straight then turn right and you will see it.If you follow that road, you won’t need to climb.” She instructed him as he noticed a few people roaming around and some guards keeping watch.

“I like it here. It feels calm, lovely, and welcome...” He smirked nostalgically.

She smiled at his comment, noticing why he noted these aspects in specific, as she got off her bike, looking at him. “I know that this is all new for you Amamiya-kun.” Makoto continued “So, just to remind you, you are not alone. Especially after the incident in Inaba.” This sentence shocked him. He didn’t know if people would receive him with open hands that incident. “I know that this could happen to me or to anyone who has DOOMS… so, please, don’t lose hope on people, Amamiya-kun.” She asked him gently, putting her hands behind her back as she spoke. He smiled at her, a genuine, thankful smile.

“Thank you, Niijima-san.” He replied warmly.

“Don’t mention it. Also, you can call me Makoto.” She continued with an embarrassed tone. “I-I’m not used to being called so formally... it feels cold, in a way…”

He smiled at that comment. “If that’s the case, then please, call me Ren.”

“All right, then, Ren-kun. Before you go…” Makoto grabs her bag jar from her bike and hands it to Ren. “Inside this bag, there are cryptobites. As they say, “one cryptobite a day keeps the timefall away”!” She says with a smile as he analyses the object. He attaches it to his backpack with a smile. “Also, watch yourself, Ren. Shadows never stay gone for long.” She said as she rode her bike. “It was nice meeting you, Ren-kun. I’ll see you around!”

“It was a pleasure to meet you too, Makoto-chan. Thank you for everything.” He replied gently with a smile as she turned on her bike’s engine and turned to the Waystation, waving him goodbye. He waved back, looking at her and her bike even after they were long gone.

 _‘She’s so kind. I should probably give her something when I see her again.’_ Ren thought as he made his way to Leblanc, following Makoto’s instructions. After some time walking, he sees the shelter. It didn’t look that big for one, or for a restaurant…

 _‘Here we are... My new home for now.”_ Ren stopped by and activated the terminal to complete the delivery. When it was registered, a hologram of the old man called The Hierophant (was that really his name…?) spoke to him.

 _“Great work kid. I assume you didn’t have any problems on the road?”_ He asked in a neutral tone.

 _‘If it weren’t for Makot_ o. _I wouldn’t be here on time.’_ He thought, but spoke “Not really.” The hologram nodded and looked at the cargo with a smirk.

_ “Well done. The cargo is in perfect condition. You saved this old man today. Thank you, kid.” _

“No problem. If I may be so bold, I assume you’re the one who will take care of me?” Ren asked bluntly, making the man chuckle.

[ ** Music: Persona 5 - Beneath the Mask (piano cover) ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl6VXZW8u00)

_“You sure are nosy, huh? You’re right. The door’s open, so come on in before it gets too dark.”_ The frizzy-haired boy nodded, opening the door that revealed downward stairs. When he arrives at the bottom, he’s greeted by a cozy underground coffee shop, with a barstool to the right and chairs, tables and some books to the left. There was also a bathroom and more stairs down the hall. The old man from the hologram was ascending those stairs, meeting Ren’s gaze. He wore a pale pink dress shirt with pale khakis, a white blazer, glasses, and sported a chinstrap beard with a goatee. The boy thought he looked fancy and formal at the same time.

“So, you must be the kid that everyone’s talking about.” The man wondered aloud while making the boy feel self-conscious. “Good to meet you. My name is Sakura Sojiro. I’ll be your caretaker during your time here.” He extended his hand as Ren shook it.

“It is a pleasure to meet you Sakura-san. I’m Amamiya Ren.” He replied cordially.

“Same here, kid. I heard a lot of good things about you.” Sojiro continued with his smirk. “Even though the world isn’t as it should be, the minister kept blabbering on about how good you are. Must feel good to be treated special, huh?” He spoke in a joke-y tone, but the glasses boy shook his head.

“Not really… especially if what happened with me had been worse…” He affirmed solemly, which made the café owner nod in understanding. “…I don’t know if you would be as receptive of me as you are.” He bowed to the man. “Thank you for taking of me, Sakura-san.”

“It’s no big deal. You can call me Boss, by the way.” Sojiro continued and then chuckled “I was wondering what kind of porter catches the attention of the government.” He says in an intrigued tone.

“If we were to consider that, too, then I’m even more surprised I meet my guardian in an ordinary place like a café.” Ren rebbuted jokingly, which made the man chuckle again.

“You seem to have a good head on your shoulders... don’t find it strange if I start asking you to help me around, okay? This ex-porter can’t do anything by himself, and I can also teach you some things you may not know about.” This revelation made the young man widen his eyes.

_‘That’s why they chose him, then… who better to take care of a porter than a porter?’_

“Well, go pack up. It’s getting late.” The café owner said, pointing to the stairs behind him, an action that surprised Ren.

“You mean I’m gonna live in a coffee shop?” He asked curiously and with a hint of excitment.

“Yeah. The basement of this café is connected to the Tokyo Knot Waystation, so all of your stuff is already here. It’s on you to organize it, though.” He explained, heading down the stairs, the frizzy-haired boy right behind him.

_‘I get to live in a café! That’s so cool! I’ll be able to brew coffee for myself every day! And this beats living with other porters... They definitely wouldn’t brew me a good coffee… or any coffee for that matter…’_

As they arrive at the bottom of the stairs, Ren notices that there are two halls before the basement; one to the left and one to the right. They enter the right hall and pass through an automatic sliding door.

“All right kid, here’s your room.” He says as they enter the room, which is in a good state, but kinda dusty. The glasses boy saw that the room had a bed, a bookshelf, a workshop table near the sink and a mirror on top of it. He also noticed a box with his belongings from Inaba, along with the glass he could store his equipment in. But the thing that caught his attention the most was the Incubator for the BB can be placed to be charged.

“You use a BB on your missions and deliveries?” He asked curiously eyeing the object.

“Yeah. I use it when there’s cargo to retrieve.” Sojiro explained, turning to Ren. “You haven’t used one yet?” He asked curiously, to which the boy replied with a serious melancholic stare.

“I dunno if I _want_ to use one of them.” He explained uneasily. “Some porters say that, when you connect to them, you can feel the sadness and the chiral allergy that’s characteristic of someone who has DOOMS…” Ren looked at the empty pod with a mix of sadness and disgust. “I didn’t ask why that is, but… I wouldn’t want to know that feeling... Espeically considering that most people consider BBs an object instead of a living being that should be in their mother’s womb...” He explained solemly, grateful that his eyes weren’t fully visible due to his glasses. Sojiro nods in understanding, agreeing with the boy’s points, but not voicing them.

“Someone from your team uses a BB pod. You don’t need to worry about using one of them, if that’s what you’re worried about.” He explains with a small smile, putting his hand on the pod. “Still, I’m keeping the pod here in case any of you need to use it.”

“Team?” Tha glasses boy asked intrigued.

“Yeah. The minister assembled a special team to deliver some packages.” The man explained. “They’ll come here to meet you tomorrow so you can work together.”

“I thought that I would be alone.” The boy expressed in surprise, with a small smirk creeping up on his features. “Maybe it’ll be nice.”

“I’m sure it will. Let me show you the other room.” The man told the boy as they make their way down the hallway to another automatic sliding door, leading to a garage. “Here’s where you’ll keep your vehicles. It’s got limited space, but I’m sure you’ll manage.” He explained casually, as Ren looked around. Sojiro pointed to a spot. “That free space over there is yours. Make sure to balance the placement of your vehicles and packages, ‘cause there isn’t a dedicated spot just to them.”

“I assume it’s because the other space is occupied by your café tools?” The frizzy-haired porter guessed, which made the café owner nod.

“Correct. There are also some documents regarding personal business over there-“ He said as he pointed to a corner of the room. “-and those are off-limits. Don’t touch them, got it?” He said seriously, to which the boy looked at them curiosly.

“Not even a small hint of what they’re about?” He asked curiously and nosily, which made the man sigh. He looked the boy over before giving in.

“It’s about some investigations my wife is leading. She wanted to meet you, but she’s stuck over at the Waystation. Maybe she’ll appear tomorrow morning to talk to you.” He explained swiftly, taking off his glasses and cleaning them.

“Is she a porter, Boss?” The young porter asked innocently, which made the man look at him again, though this time with squinted eyes.

“No…” He said, shaking his head and putting his glasses on again. “She’s a government scientist who’s studying the Strand. She told me she isn’t going to retire until she finds out the origin of that mess…” He explained with a tinge of annoyance and respect.

_‘So, I’m under the care of a café owner who’s married to a government scientist who’s studying the Strand… seems kinda hectic, but it could be worse.’_

“Tomorrow morning, your team’s coming over to Leblanc, so make sure to look presentable, got it?” Sojiro told the boy, his previous calm demeanor replaced by one of impatience. Ren noticed his constant questioning of everything could be the cause of this… “I’ll close the door when I leave, but you can open it from the inside.” He explained, to which the boy replied with a small “hm” and a nod. “Follow me, kid.” He called, going up the stairs as the porter followed him to the café.

He turned around to face the young man as he grabbed a white hat hanging from a coat rack. “Be sure to lock up when I leave and to open when I get here. I’m an early bird, so be sure to sleep early. I’ll call you with the codec if you don’t show up by the morning, okay?”

“Understood.”

“One more thing-“ The man said as he opened the door. “You should probably clean up your room before going to bed. There are some cleaning products in the bathroom. Don’t touch the cups, coffee beans, anything. Even though I’m doing a favor, I’ll kick you out if you cause problems for me, got it?” He said menacingly, which made the frizzy-haired young man gulp.

“Understood. I’ll be sure to keep everything tidy around here.” Ren reassured the man, which made him smile.

“Good. Welp, I’m off. Good night.” He said as he went up the stairs that lead outside, putting on his hat.

 _‘Huh… only the hat? How will he protect himself from the Timefall that way…?’_ The porter shook his head. _‘Well… he must have a way. It isn’t any of my business, anyway… Let’s check out those cleaning products.’_ He thought as he opened the bathroom’s door, seeing brooms, rags, cleaning products and even a surpring cargo repair spray. He takes the necessary equipment and goes downstairs. He stares at the room for a few moments before starting to clean it.

 _‘All right, looking good.’_ He thought as he looked at the result: a room that’s at least presentable. It still needed some modifications, but it wouldn’t be wise to make them on day one. _‘I better go take a bath…’_ He thought as he grabbed his pajamas from his box of belongings, consisting of green pants and black long-sleeved T-shirt, and went inside the sliding door in his room that lead to the bathroom. He took off his dirty clothing, turned on the shower with the press of a buton and went in, feeling the relief of finally being able to wash away the dirt off his body.

As he washed himself, the events of the day replayed through his head: the Shadow(?) near the gate, the tarot card naming he probably hallucinated(?), the fact that the government moved him here… Even though he felt tired for a long portion of the day, he couldn’t really believe that he hallucinated those first two events… they felt real. They felt tangible, and they didn’t reflect anything in his mind… so why, then, was he the only one to notice these events? He pondered this to no avail as he dries himself off and put on his pajamas. As he dries his hair, the image of Makoto appears in his mind. What happened back there? How did she know exactly what to do? Why did she appear right when he needed help? He shook his head and those thoughts away as he lied down on his bed. _‘What a day…’_ He thought as he closed his eyes, trying to drift off to sleep, ending this hectic day. Hopefully tomorrow’s dawn would be better than today’s…

###  **CHAPTER 2: HOME**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you @Real_Ian_MD for always helping me. Follow him and tell him I say hi.
> 
> Thanks for reading.
> 
> Kudos and comments are always welcome and appreciated.
> 
> Twitter: @JostineKyok14


	3. A Corpse I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren starts his new mission as a PORTER of the district.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I'm alive kinda but don't worry. 
> 
> I still have things to make for the college cus I'm in finals 
> 
> Expect more guys.
> 
> I always give credit to @Real_Ian_MD for helping me on this as my starting a multi-chapter.

_“Get away from here!”_

_“Don’t come back!”_

_“You should be dead!”_

_“Look at the mess you made!”_

_“You are a disgrace!”_

_“You should just go. Inaba doesn’t welcome people like you…”_

_ Pi—Pi—Pi! _

[ **_ The Severed bond – Ludvig Forsell _ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSMkc7M-XgI)

The beeping of the coded woke Ren up in a cold sweat. And, as he put his hands to his face, he noticed some tears streaming down his face as his heart beat fast. A nightmare… or a memory? He wasn’t truly sure; all that he knew was that he was breathing heavily, fighting against the tears. _”Ok, ok, ok… Ren... You are not there anymore… You’re gonna start over… it isn’t the end of the world… I hope….’_ He thought, trying to calm himself as he stood up and went to take a bath. Hopefully, that would do the trick…

**_Meanwhile…_ **

In the heart of the town, headed toward Leblanc were Sojiro and a woman on a wheel chair. They waved to their neighbors and friends in the cold morning.

“Good morning, Larry!” She greeted the neighbor warmly. Then, she turned to the man leading her. “So, how is the kid Sojiro?” She asked curiously.

“He seems good. From what I saw yesterday, he has manners.” He explained calmly, making sure to not get her wheelchair stuck on the terrain. “What I can already tell is that he isn’t like any ol’ regular porter.” He changed to a friendly tone.“He seems focused on the task given to him. I could see the determination is his eyes.”

“Wow, a lot of compliments at once! So, think he can surpass you?” She asked playfully, turning around to give him a smirk. Sojiro smirked back at her.

“Nope! He seems good, but nothing beats good ol’ experience, Wakaba. Also, you’re too old to be with another porter, you know?” He teased her as both chuckled as she turned around and playfully slapped his arm.

“Listen, I may have chased my fair share of guys when I was younger, but I’d never chase even younger guys. Besides, you’re the only one I want.” She replied playfully, but then her tone got serious. “Just… don’t say that type of thing when we’re in public, okay?.” She added with a glare at him.

“Alright, Wakaba. Won’t happen again.” Sojiro affirmed, fearing for his safety. “Since that topic is forbidden… the government wants something from the kid. Almost like they don’t trust the other porters we have here.”

“I’m worried with everything going on right now…” Wakaba spoke seriously. “But… there could be the light of a new dawn somewhere around here. That’s how you described him, after all…”

“Well, hope he shows us what he is capable of.” Sojiro commented aloud as they neared Leblanc. “I did make a promise to him, after all.” She grinned at this comment, looking with gleaming, curious eyes towards the familiar café.

[ **_ Persona 5 – Beneath the mask (Piano cover) _ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl6VXZW8u00)

Meanwhile, Ren was already prepared with his porter suit and coat at hand, as he waited for his guardian to appe-

_ Pi—Pi! _

_ Click. _

_“Kid, I’m outside. You can open the door, And I hope you’re presentable, ‘cuz we have company.”_ Sojiro’s voice echoed from the speaker.

“I’m coming.” Ren replied, going up the two sets of stairs and opening the door to his guardian and a woman in a wheelchair.

“How you’ve been, Boss? Had a good trip?” Ren asked nonchalantly as the café owner brought the woman inside.

“I’ve been good. Trip was normal as well.” Sojiro replied calmly.

“I assumed that this is your wife?” Ren asked innocently, as Sojiro nodded “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss…?”

“Wakaba…” The woman replied. “Wakaba Isshiki Sakura. You can also call me Mama, for short.”

“Are you sure, Miss?” He asked worriedly as she nodded.

Sojiro chuckled. “I know that you just met her, but don’t worry. That’s a nickname the people she works with gave her, so no one will judge you for calling her Mama.”

“Understood.” Ren then bowed. “Nice to meet you, Waka—I mean, Mama.”

She smiled at his gesture as both brought her down to the café. As Sojiro prepared their coffee, she turned to talk to the new porter beside her.

“So, Ren, how was your journey here to the district?” She asked curiously, but politely.

“It was tiring.” He replied as he looked to the owner making their food before turning to her. “Nothing wrong with the road, but we had to make some stops due to Shadows making traffic much worse than it needed to be. Aside from that… a normal trip.”

“Then you were lucky you got the standard trip! That’s just how it goes when people come here.” She said happily as she waved her hands dramatically while she talked, making the gray-eyed porter smile. ‘ _They’re both being so nice to me… I guess I got lucky… the world isn’t the best it could be, but at least I have two people who care for me right here..’_ His train of thought was cut by Wakaba, who playfully smacked his shoulder. “I assume that Sojiro made you deliver some coffee tools, right?”

Ren nodded with a smile. “Yeah, he did. It was a normal delivery for the most part. I did have to dodge the Timefall and jump through a cliff that was in the way, but a kind porter helped me get here.” He spoke with a smile, still thankful for Makoto’s help.

Wakaba smiled. “I’m glad to see porters caring about others while the Strand is making everyone’s lives hell.” Ren chuckled at that. “But do watch out with whom you meet and trust.” She suddenly turned serious. “There’re some issues the government is dealing with now, and some people will try to take advantage of that. I’d say, take care of your goods and don’t let people you don’t fully trust use them, okay?”

“Understood, Mama.” He replied seriously, though with a tinge of curiosity, as something plagued his mind. “I wanted to ask you something.” He said after a few seconds of thought, which made Wakaba focus on him. “What’s happening with the government? The porter who I met yesterday and brought me to the waystation told me that the government is… occupied? What could they be occupied with?” He asked intrigued, hoping that the scientist in front of him could clear up the situation.

She sighed solemnly. “The minister could be changed.” She replied quickly and dryly, which caught his attention.

“Is she gonna leave her positi-” He started until he saw a plate of Curry and a cup of coffee were put in front of him. Sojiro looked at him with a smirk as he put down the food.

“Here kid. You’ll need to be ready for your partners, who are coming as we speak, by the way.”

“Oh, right!” He said quickly as he started eating, his eyes wide due to the news. He didn’t notice Wakaba winking at Sojiro and then looking at the glasses boy curiously. He did notice when they were both looking at him, but he didn’t mind. He started eating quickly but had to stop. He picked up a spoonful and calmly ate it, appreciating its rich flavor and textures, taking a drink of coffee to enrich the taste. He smiled at the food as he ate the rest more calmly.

“Someone seems impressed.” Wakaba spoke jokingly, smiling at his reaction, as if she had seen it many times before.

“Of course I am! I never tasted something this good in a good while!” He said with a big, genuine smile.

“Glad that you like it.” Sojiro said as he grabs his plate and goes to wash it-

_ Pi—Pi! _

Ren quickly moved his hand to his pocket, but noticed his coded didn’t make a sound. He looked at the café owner and saw him with his own codec.

[ **_ BRIDGES – Ludvig Forsell _ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nvGaG3BZJQ)

“Sojiro Sakura” He said neutrally. “Hm-hm. Ok, I’ll tell him.” He put away his codec and turned to the two. “Kid, your partners are here. You should go meet with them.”He quickly nodded, grabbing his bag he prepared beforehand and his Odradek, preparing to go upstairs, until Sojiro put his arm in front of his path. “Woah, not so fast. Kid, take this.” He says as he pulls a thermos out of his pocket and hands it to the porter. “I used this exact thermos when I was a porter. I want you to have it.” Ren nods and grabs it, attaching it to his hip. “It contains coffee. The other porters are using a kind of energy drink. Those are bullshit and won’t help you at all.” Sojiro smirked after that second statement. “So I prefer that you have it the most traditional way.”

 _‘Coffee…’_ Ren thought on how that coffee _could_ give him a boost... but if Sojiro spoke with such confidence just a while ago... “I assume that this has something more to it, right?” He questioned curiosly, looking at the thermos.

“You’re sharp.” Wakaba spoke up from her seat and stood beside him, pointing to the thermos. “Not only does is it made from a great exported bean, but it also has cryptobites in it.” She said with a smile.

“Cryptobites?” He replied, shocked. “Did the previous coffee had them, too?”

“No, that one was normal coffee.” She confirmed and took a quick breath. “This coffee gives you a big physical and stamina boost. You don’t need to worry about the coffee getting cold. That is, until the thermos’ batteries run out, but this one has a… good… battery.” She spoke in pauses, which didn’t give Ren much confidence in this thing’s heating capabilities. “Don’t worry! You’ll be able to upgrade its battery at the waystation. A new battery should last a whole day.” She smirked as she looked at modified thermos. “I made that as a gift for Sojiro’s travels, but he retired right as I perfected it. Might explain why the battery isn’t the best one yet… he only managed to test it a few times…” She spoke in a mocking sad tone as she looked at the man, who shrugged at her. Ren just looked at it with a confused expression.

“Well, I hope this is a reliable invention…” He murmured lowly, not much confidence in his voice. Apparently, Wakaba heard his remark, because she gave him a glare that made him think he would be buried that night. “I-I mean… I’m gonna… use it…and give…my fair thoughts…. on its use… its _great_ use!” He spoke fearfully, averting her judging eyes.

“Of course you will.” Wakaba said confidently with a sudden smile, messing with his hair. Sojiro smirked, then looked at his watch.

“Ok kid, you already took too long. Time to go.” He said as Ren carefully dodged Wakaba while she waved at him as the café owner walked up the stairs in front of the boy. “There’re some deliveries I was hoping you could make for me.” He said as they neared the door, to which the young porter nodded.

Outside of the shelter, a truck was parked on the empty road, two porters occupying its drivers seats. The porter on the co-pilot seat was listening to music on his earphones before he opened the door and hopped out of the truck, walking up to Ren and Sojiro. He had a dark blue, unkempt hair and his bangs covered his right eye. He was somehow shorter than Ren, and had a very lax, yet uncaring feel. Ren couldn’t really think of an age for this man, but his instinct told him he’d be in his thirties.

“Ah, you must be Amamiya Ren.” The man said in a tired tone as he extended his hand at the boy, who nodded. “Arisato Minato. Velvet Corpse Disposal.” He shook the young porter’s hand, who, at that moment, noticed that the man had heavy bags under his eyes…

“It’s nice to meet you, Arisato-san.” He said politely, but with an eye on the truck. He felt some kind of aura emanating from it… his Odradek confirmed that there was a corpse on its back, which was to be expected, but he saw that, on the side of the truck, the words **The Fool** were written in bold letters. _‘Again, the tarot card naming... is it even real at this point or am I just seeing things?’_

His thoughts were interrupted by the older porter’s voice. “I read some documents that said that you were involved on a case of a Voidout at Inaba, correct?” He asked curiously, but tiredly. Ren looked down, not liking that this issue from another town spread so far out… he almost felt infamous because everyone mentioned this... everyone except Makoto, but he told her anyway. “It doesn’t mater to me either way. I won’t judge you on it.” He said neutrally before coming closer to his ear. “Thing is, a lot of people don’t want you close simply because you have DOOMS. I know that feeling.” He said as he pointed to his truck.

“So… Velvet Corpse Disposal?” Ren asked him, hoping he’d tell more about himself. “I don’t mean to be rude, but what does that have to do with me?”

They heard a knock on the door suddenly. Minato looked at his watch. “You’ll see as we move along.” He said in the best hurried tone he could, which didn’t convey the feeling of lateness Ren expected. The porter tunred to Sojiro. “You have cargo, right, Sakura-san? Put it on the terminal and give the rookie the coordinates. He’ll pick it up there. We gotta go.” He hopped into the truck and gives the driver instructions that the young porter couldn’t hear, as he turned to face Sojiro.

“Right. Kid, I’ll send the packages to terminal as soon as I can. Add ‘em on the truck when you get to them, got it?” He asked, to which the porter nodded. “Well, good luck. Be safe out there.” He said with a handshake to the boy, turning to the café. At that moment, he heard a knock on the door, so he went to the back of the truck, in which Minato was waiting for him.

“Take a lookie here.” He said in a monotone, showing the boy a corpse, which unnerved the new porter. “He won’t bite. 

“He wasn’t quarantined?” The glasses boy asked increduosly.He has a date with the incinerator.” He spoke firstly as a joke, but then his voice showed worry.

[ **_ John – Ludvig Forssell _ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rILpmKPv4g)

Ren noticed this an looked closer at the body, feeling partly disgusted and sad at what used to house a person. “How long since he flatlined?” He asked seriously.

“We don’t know the exact time of death, but I’d say it’s been upwards of forty hours… perhaps more…” The blue-haired porter guessed with a sigh.

“Wasn’t sick. This was a suicide.” Minato said unpleasantly, looking over at the corpse.

“Oh…God…” Ren said in a low volume as he put his right hand to his chest to respect the dead.

“We’re just lucky that we found him at all” The porter with the headphones said. “Got him on ice ASAP, but who knows how long it’ll take for him to necrotize...” He spoke lowly, thinking.

“Where’s the closet incinerator?” Ren asked while eyeing the body carefully. He didn’t want it to become a Shadow and cast a Voidout, especially since they’re close to a lot of people.

“There’s one to the South, but it isn’t the safest route. There are a ton of Shadows surrounding that area.” He explained as he leaned on the wall of the truck.

 _‘What a swell way to start the day.’_ The frizzy-haired boy thought as his mind spun. “Isn’t there another route we can use?” He asked, though he expected the answer to be negative.

“There is. But by the time we get there, there won’t be a body here.” The older porter explained with sadness. Ren kicked himself mentally for not reading a map before going on this impromptu journey.

“Can’t we burn him here?” He asked desperately, to which the other man glared at him.

“And create a chiralium chimney for the townsfolk to breathe in?” He asked sarcastically. “It’s too risky.”

“But, since the incinerator is out the the equation, wouldn’t it be better if we at least tried?” The gray-eyed boy replied quickly, desperately.

“It’d probably ease your mind, since it would probably burn along with the body.” Minato replied sarcastically before taking a deep breath. “Look at me. We can do this. We just need someone like you, with DOOMS, to guide us.” He explained convincingly. Sighing, the new porter tried to sense the corpse, shuddering at what he felt.

“H-he’s already starting to necrotize... if we don’t hurry, this place will turn into a crater!” He spoke urgently, to which the man gave a small smile.

“Good thing we have you, then.” The boy tried to think of any reason to retort, but none came. Sighing, he nodded. “Hereby, Velvet and Amamiya Ren have forged a contract.” The man spoke… coyly?

“Just call me Ren.” He said mildly annoyed and continued before the man could even comment. “Alright, so let’s plan this out: we need to take my Guardian’s cargo and burn this body. We can quickly take it and leave it by the waystation, which is en route to the incinerator, right?” He asked quickly, as Minato nodded.

“Yup. I’ll help you put everything there quickly.” He reassured the young porter.

“Thanks.” He said before letting out a small ‘oh!’. “I forgot to say, but I can’t spot Shadows… only sense them.” He said ashamedly, to which the porter chuckled.

“Don’t worry. We came prepared for that.” He says as he shows the BB pod equipped on his chest.

“A Bridge Baby, huh…?” He spoke curiously, as he noticed that, he noted curiously as the Jack Frost charm caught his attention even more than the BB.

“With both of you, we’ll be able to stay one step ahead of ‘em.” He says confidently as he grabs the pipe of his Odradek and connects it to the pod. The BB’s position shifts to that of a real baby on fetal position. “Sorry for the language, but I always feel like shit when I connect to him.”

“I can imagine… I talked with my Guardian about this…” He spoke, looking at the pod. “Well, you **are** plugging into the other side… it freaks me out.” The baby spun in circles almost rhythmically, making Ren look at them. When he just looked at them, they hit the glass of the pod, startling Ren and making Minato chuckle.

“He says ‘nice to meet you’.” He told the young porter with a smirk. At that moment, said boy’s coded started playing. “You should answer that.” 

_‘I will, man.’_ He thinks before answering the coded, knowing who it was. “Boss, is the cargo ready?”

 _“ Yeah. You should move quickly, especially since you have a corpse nearby.”_ As Boss spoke, Ren told Minato to go to the terminal to quickly load up the cargo.They quickly but carefully load it in, along with some much needed supplies. They thanked the heavens that this was en route. “C’mon, we need to move. Roll out!” Minato said seriously to the driver while keeping an eye on the corpse as the truck’s engine sprung to life. Ren also stared at that poor husk. _‘The more time passes, the more I feel like this is a suicide mission…’_ He thought as he looked into the sockets that used to house their eyes. Suddenly, the sockets seemed to fill with a pitch-black smoke with a white hole in the middle, almost as if it was staring at him. He gasped, which caught Minato’s attention, but as soon as he opened his eyes again, that smoke was gone. _‘Okay, what the fuck. I’m_ not _imagining this, am I? My mind isn’t that dark! …right?’_ He thought as he looked over to the blue-haired man, who shrugged at him and continued listening to his earphones.

**In another part of the road.**

Makoto was riding on her bike with a big smile as she felt the wind on her face, nearing a green farming area. She had business with a partner and friend who treated her and the other co-workers really well. She brought a cargo of garden supplies and some timefall water from the Yongen-Jaya waystation. Her previous delivery there went really well! She was learning to control her pace better. She tried, but one person recently began disrupting it… Ren. He was an interesting individual… she had been instructed by the Minister to meet him, and she bumps into him while hiding from Shadows… it could be considered dumb luck, but… she felt like it wasn’t simply luck. She was also suspicious of what the Minister wanted of him…

 _‘I don’t fit with the current situation, and Ren’s involvement with her is also… unkown. What is the Minister planning…? And why do I have a bad feeling about this?’_ She thought seriously, her smile disappearing from her features. _‘And Sis is missing… it’s already been 2 months…’_ She thought as she opened her cuff and accessed the contact of Sae.

[ **_ Majula – Motoi Sakuraba _ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBqJwv_XNvY)

As she feared, no messages from her sister for two months… only her own pleas and cries for her to come home. That expedition didn’t sit well with Makoto ever since her sister joined.

**_-//-Tokyo knot city-Waystation gate: two months ago -//-_ **

_“SIS!” Makoto shouted as she ran to hug her sister, not caring that she would get soaked by the rain. Sae was forced to hug her sister with one arm and to hold her umbrella with the other, nearly falling over due to her little sister’s strength. The people around them did their best to not stare, but failed._

_“Makoto, you shouldn’t be here.” She said annoyingly, looking down at her._

_“I heard from the company that you’re gonna be leaving.” She said anxiously, looking up at her sister’s fierce red eyes. “Why didn’t you say anything, Sis?”_

_Sae simply sighed. “I can’t extend myself too much here, so I’ll be brief: I will be joining an expedition around Japan, Makoto.” She said seriously as her sister’s eyes widened. “The government wanted me for this mission and I couldn’t say no. This is the only way to stop the terrorists responsible for the Voidouts.”_

_Makoto hugged her tighter,“But… this is a huge gamble, Sis… Father wouldn’t want-“_

_“Father is not here Makoto!” Sae roared, freezing her sister and making her let her go. “You know what happened to him! He died upholding some lofty sense of righteousness, leaving all his responsibilities on us! Do **not** talk to me about gambles when **he’s the one** who gambled the most!” She continued to scold her sister with rage, who stood motionless in front of her._

_“A-all I was trying to say was-!” Makoto tried, but to no avail._

_“Isn’t it about time you grew up and acknowledged our situation!?” She roared once again. “You’re so afraid of becoming a true porter and keep reading your books! You already have all the theory to go out there and actually do something! But, no, you seem to value your own individual well-being over our own!” She continued, backing Makoto into the nearest wall. “If you actually cared, you wouldn’t be pestering me to stay because you’re scared! Right now, you’re useless to me! All you do is eat away at my life!” She roared the last two sentences louder, throwing all of her uncensored, repressed feelings onto her sister, who stood motionless, tears forming in her eyes._

_“….!” Makoto looked down, tears starting to stream down her face. Was this really what her sister thought of her…? Was she… useless?! No…! No…! She started to breathe faster, her head spinning wildly out of control as that word ingrained itself into her mind like a parasite, making her dizzy._

_She couldn’t even focus correctly as her sister spoke. “Sorry, that was uncalled for... I’m just… really tired.” She said regretfully, which barely registered to her now broken sister. “Makoto, you need to look for the company here. Care and trust your co-workers and leave the rest to me.” The headband girl could only nod. “I’ll talk to you when I get the chance.” The older Niijima sister said as she made a jump, disappearing from her sister without even saying goodbye, leaving her in charge of the NIIJIMA EXPRESS without even saying it. Makoto knew that the people nearby were watching, but she didn’t even care. Her sobs got harder as she sumbled her way to her home, where she cried herself to sleep, wondering where she went wrong in her life._

**_-//-_ ** **_Present day_ ** **_-//-_ **

Her eyes focused again as she looked at the road ahead of her, having to do a quick turn to not hit a bird. As she looked back to quickly check on it, she felt water on her cheeks. Scared, she stopped and looked up, wondering if it was rain, but she noticed her vision was blurry. Only then did she notice that it wasn’t rain, but tears that were streaming down her face. She sobbed, and her heartbeat increased. _‘Get it together Makoto.’_ She thought desperately as she started slowly breathing in and out, calming herself with time. _‘You are doing this for her sake. She… said those horrible things, but she’s still my sister… I don’t wanna be useless…’_ She thought as she had to regain control of her breathing. _‘But… could this make me happy? Am I doing the right thing?’_ She thought as she looked at the sky, wrapping her arms around herself protectively. _‘I’m worried about her… I want her to come home… hell, just to say hello to me…’_ She thought sadly, holding back her tears.

“ ** _5 minutes to arrive your destiny._ ” **Her codec suddenly announced, scaring Makoto out of her sadness. She sniffed as she saw the route on her map. She turned her bike to where she was supposed to go. She looked at her reflection on her motorcycle’s mirrors. The little makeup she did wear was already gone, so she rubbed her cheeks, looking over herself again. She saw a young, conflicted woman, who seemed so small and fragile… she didn’t like that image. Her stare hardened as she gripped the handle with all her strength. _‘I’m not useless. I’ll prove that I can make a difference. You’ll see, Sis.’_ She thought confidently as she boosted her bike, quickly reaching max speed and hoping she’d be able to make it on time, her resolve restored for now.

**Meanwhile, on the way to the incinerator.**

Ren and Minato quickly left Sojiro’s packages on the waystation and ran to the truck. They quickly achieved max speed as the world became a blur against their windows. Minato seemed oddly calm as he looked out of the window, though. “The world was really different when I was a kid.” He suddenly said melancholically, catching the young porter’s attention. “Japan was an actual country. Anybody could go anywhere they pleased. We weren’t afraid of leaving our houses. It was secure. We didn’t need couriers like yourself.” Ren nodded, thinking on how the strand turned everyone’s world upsite down. Especially the Shadows, who didn’t let them go forward in life… he could imagine better roads, houses, buildings, cafés… they didn’t even have to tear nature apart. They could add to it with their houses and care for the trees and animals. All if the Strand didn’t come… “We had a lot of different ways of transportation: highways, airplanes.. hell, with the latter, you could even visit other countries!” The older porter reminisced on his older life… a simpler time for everyone. “Those memories seem so far away now… I don’t know if we’ll be able to go back to that.” He thought aloud, which made the young porter look at him.

“That sounds like a free-er version of our life…” He said longinly. “I wish I had a taste of it. But… well, I’ll never have the chance. Unless we somehow manage to revert this hellish reality into something more bearable. Maybe give some life back to people like you.” He suggested, which made the man chuckle.

“Didn’t know you’re an optimist.” He joked, which made both chuckle. “The strand of Mementos poked us full of holes. Pardon my French, but it fucked us beyond all recognition. The Minato I mentioned earlier is long dead. What stands here is… something completely different, and less joyful.” He chuckled at his situation. “If you’re lucky enough to survive and aren’t somehow insane, then the timefall will just come and wash you away when you least expect it.” He spoke almost longingly, before some anger seeped into his voice. “And if that wasn’t enough, then those freaks from Mementos show up. The worlds of the living, of the dead, and our collective unconscious, all mixed together. A perfectly chaotic mess.”

“Which lead to heavy protection programs.” Ren concluded as the older porter nodded.

“Right. That’s how the folks started holding up in the cities. And couriers like your guardian got the hero treatment.” He reminisced, as Ren couldn’t imagine a handsome, hero Sojiro, which made him chuckle. Maybe he had some secret government gel that hid his true appearance and disguised him as a 50 year-old. He chuckled at these dumb ideas and turned to his new friend to tell him- “Son of a bitch. Rainbow.”

[ **_ Chiral Carcass Culling – Ludvig Forssell _ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK_SJ23aMzA)

He said tensily as he pointed to it. The moment he did, they saw clouds starting to form around them and a loud thunder-

“ ** _Timefall approaches in 3 minutes._ ”** The codec announced, making the two people in the back of the truck enter high alert mode.

“How much until the incinerator?! This guy’s about to pop!” Ren asked tensily to his partner.

“Dammit! We’re gonna have to take a shortcut through the Shadows!” He said loudly for the first time in the day, hitting a spot near the driver’s seat 5 times, which made the truck go faster. Both held on to dear life as they looked out of the window to the Shadow-infested field. The driver tried to move throught a tight turn at max speed-

“ ** _Timefall approaches in 15 seconds._ ” **Ren annoyingly put up his protective hoodie, prepared for the worst. And, as fate would have it, it did come: the truck stopped. They received 7 consecutive knocks back from the driver’s seat.

“Shit. The engine’s stalled!” Minato translated, looking out of the window. “Those things got us right where they wanted! Get us outta here!” He said to his Odradek, which scanned the area around them. As it did, he quietly turned to the young porter.

“Ren, can you sense them?” He spoke quietly while Ren closed his eyes, trusting his instincts. He sensed many of them outside, but none close enough to warrant a reaction. He shook his head as the older porter lightly hit his pod. The BB wasn’t responding. “He must be busted or something.” He remarked angrily, sighing. Then, the engine turned on the truck quickly sped up to get them out of there, which alerted the Shadows of their presence. Some Shadows quickly approached the truck and slammed into it, trying to knock it down. They didn’t manage to, but they did manage to nearly tumble it. Their driver tried to control the situation to the best of his ability, trying to dodge the Shadows as best as he could. The two porters cursed under their breath, powerless to change their situation. At that moment, the Shadows managed to break the windows and, with a last violent slam, they tipped the truck over. Ren hit his head on the ground, knocking him out as the last thing he heard was the damaged truck and Minato’s scream.

###  **CHAPTER 3: A CORPSE.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading.
> 
> A kudo and a comment is welcome and appreciated.
> 
> Twitter: @JostineKyok14


	4. A Corpse II

**On an Agricultural Farm**

Makoto arrived on a farm of soil grooves, watching the people planting seeds, noticing the area didn’t have a fence nor gate. At a closer look, however, she noticed that various pin sensors were installed around the farm. Porters who were registered on the Chiral Network and government would show their ID to be identified and freely pass. Each prepper has pin sensors so that terrorists couldn’t enter or destroy anything of value, or steal cargo. To be absolutely sure that peace would be kept, any weapons within the vicinity would be rendered useless.

Makoto passes the scan and walks down a road that leads to the main building of the farm: a shelter for the workers. The building owner is a partner of NIIJIMA EXPRESS, whose objective is to share food and supplies to help the people of the districts. She parked her bike close to the door, grabbing the package attached to her vehicle before noticing that there was another one right beside her. _‘Another porter?’_ She thought curiosly as her hand approached the door handle, when it suddenly bursts open, revealing a businessman, who seemed angry at something. He didn’t seem to care for her presence, as he shoved her out of his way, as she widened her eyes. “Ow! Hey!” She called him angrily, making him turn around briefly. “Watch where you’re going!” She told him, but he scoffed and turned on his vehicle, heading for the road. _‘What the hell!? What’s wrong with him!?’_ She thought angrily as she fixed her clothes. _‘Whatever he was angry at wouldn’t-‘_

[ **Frozen space- Ludvig Forsell** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLvw1nvvAes)

“Oh, Mako-chan!” A gentle voice entered her ears, making her smile. She turned around and saw a fluffy-haired woman with a long sleeved pink jacket with gray stripes, pink stripped pants, brown boots and white gloves (most likely to protect her from the Timefall). She was a little shorter than Makoto, but that didn’t make her beaming smile any less visible.

“Haru!” She exclaimed happily as they hugged each other tightly. “It’s so good to see you!”

“Likewise!” Haru replied with a nod, looking at Makoto’s face with her beaming smile. “You should come visit more often. My babies love to hear your voice!” She said happily, which made the red-eyed girl laugh. She did love to care for those plants… “But I know you’re not here simply to garden. You have a delivery for me, correct?” She asked sweetly, to which her friend nodded.

“Very astute of you, Haru.” She replies jokingly as she shows her the package she held. “I was on Yongen on a business trip, looking for any free deliveries as usual when I saw your request.” She explained with a smile, until it slowly turned into a frown. “It’s too bad I didn’t see it before… you’ve been waiting for this for over a month…!” She lamented, looking down as Haru shook her head and held her friend’s hands.

“Don’t blame yourself, Mako-chan! You don’t need to take pity for me, either.” She told her friend reassuredly. “I’m sure it’s simply a system glitch or that there were more important deliveries than mine to be… well, delivered!” She spoke positively, to which Makoto shook her head.

“All deliveries are important, Haru. Some people up there may think that there’s an order of importance, but everyone’s necessary to keep things going.” She explained, handing her friend her package. “The government taking this slowly is weird, especially considering that your project involves the Timefall and how we could use its water!” She continued impatiently, to which her friend giggled.

“Well, what matters is that it’s finally here! Now we can move forward with our plans.” She spoke happily, until her face became serious. “Since you’re here, I need to talk to you about something important. I can make us some coffee, if you’d like.”

“Of couse. Lead the way, Haru.” Makoto says nodding as they both head into the building, walking down a corridor that leads to its back and to stairs. Those stairs lead to a porch, where a small garden with many different vegetables (and coffee) grew. Makoto’s eyes suddenly widened. “Oh, I forgot! Haru, who was that man who stormed out of here? Did he threaten you?” She asked worriedly, which made Haru smile at her friend’s priorities and concerns.

“Don’t worry, Mako-chan. That man was no one special.” Haru explained as they kept walking, but then sighing as she notices she’ll have to explain a very uncomfortable side of being in her position. “I’m honestly not completely sure of his intent. He came to supposedly deliver me something, but he kept flirting with me all the time, trying to get me to accept a date with him and even making… unflattering remarks, as if I was a prize to win.” She explained sadly as Makoto’s eyes widened.

[ **Timefall - Ludvig Forsell** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGcityhhVtM)

“WHAT!?” She exclaimed angrily, having to take a couple of seconds to calm down. “And he got that angry simply because you turned him down!?” She asked angrily, to which her friend nodded. “…could he have had any ulterior motives? Any other reason to come here and do this? Perhaps to gather intel?” She kept wondering calmly, but Haru shook her head as she held her friend’s hand.

“Don’t worry so much, Mako-chan! I’m farily certain that his only ulterior motive was carnal.” She explained calmly as she closed her eyes. “Besides, if things were to get any more… unpleasant, I would be the one to make things more carnal.” She explained in a low, growly tone as her head slightly pointed to a clean axe on the corner of the room, which made Makoto shiver. “I’m quite sure he won’t come back.”

“I-if you say so…” Makoto said, trying to hide her fear by nodding. They both stood up and Haru reached for the sliding door near the back. She passed it and Makoto followed her into the second area; a much larger area with trees, vegetables, fruits… all planted by Haru. The headband girl always thought that this feat was incredible considering the destruction of the strand and how Haru found a way around it. It was no wonder that Okumura Foods had such success and why their partnership was one the public paid close attention to. One of the garden’s path lead to the center of the porch, and in its middle stood a purple wooden hut. He two girls sat on the table near it, and a butler and friend of Haru came to serve them their coffee.

“Miss Okumura, you should wear more adequate clothing for the ocasion.” The butler told her sincerely, to which she let out a small giggle.

“Oh, I forgot!” She laughed. “Please wait just a moment, Makoto. I will be right back. Takeshi, please make Mako-chan’s visit a comfortable one!” She said as she passed though another sliding door, as her butler prepared Makoto’s chair and went back to making their coffee. The red-eyed girl sat down and looked down, wondering about that man.

 _‘Her story is quite simple, but something tells me there’s more to that man... I never knew of people coming and flirting with her just because they could. If this is something common, though, I should let the preppers know, especially the girls. They should be safe.’_ She thought seriously as the butler came with her coffee.

“Your coffee is ready, miss Niijima” Takeshi informed her, who nodded absent-mindedly, as he also nodded and turned to leave.

“Thank you, Takeshi.” She replied neutrally, before looking at him with curious eyes. “Excuse me.” She called out, making him turn to her. “ I know it’s none of my business, but… who was the man who came here before me?”

“He was a business partner of another family that is friends with miss Haru’s father.” Takeshi he replied simply, turning around, taking her coffee and giving it to her. “I don't know the details of their business, but if we take into account how miss Okumura responded to him, I believe their deal went south quite quickly.” He said ominously, almost afraid. “Please excuse me.” He said quickly before leaving for another chamber, leaving Makoto to her thoughts.

 _‘Hmm, that’s odd… What kind of business would involve flirting and umcomfortable positions…?’_ She tried to think of any, but her mind couldn’t reach a suitable answer. Sighing, she closed her eyes and tasted the coffee, letting out a sound of approval at the taste. _‘I should ask Haru more about this matter...’_ Her thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of water gently hitting glass, signaling the Timefall. _‘This rain would be so much prettier if it didn’t wither everything…’_ She thought as she looked out at it, standing up and walking near the windows, staring onto the horizon. This made an image flash upon her mind. _‘I wonder how Ren is adapting… I hope he’s okay.’_

**South of Yogen-Jaya on the way to the incinerator.**

Ren heard the sound of rain as his vision slowly returned to him, his head foggy and his hearing partially muffled. As his hearing came back, he started to hear the plants wither, which made him jump, giving him a headache. _‘Oh. God! The body!’_

[ **Beached things – Ludvig Forsell** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLMqgqyiut4)

He looked around, his world spinning as his head screamed at him, finding the body behind him. _‘Dammit, we’re gonna be toast if we don’t move! Where is Minato!?’_ He thought as he quickly looked instinctively to his side, finding the truck there, two silhouettes inside it. He suspected the figure standing was Minato, but the other one lay on the ground unmoving. _‘I need to protect the corpse!’_ He thinks as he tries to get up, but his leg screamed at him, making him dizzy _‘What…?_ ’ He looked at it, seeing a big cut on its side and a lot of blood on the grass, his body now processing his pain properly, making him scream. ‘ _Argh… all right… take it slow… you… need to patch that wound…’_ He thought as he grabbed a piece of a med kit beside him, wrapping his leg and stopping the bleeding, slowly standing up, besides his body’s protests. He took a few steps, getting used to the feeling and then kneeled on his good leg to to observe the body, grunting in anger.

Meanwhile, Minato is trying to get the driver out of the truck, but his legs were underneath the side of the truck. As he fumbled to get him out, the man groaned in pain, tears leaking out from his eyes. The Odradek kept beeping as Minato grunted in anger, setting it to a silent mode. “I know, I know! Dammit, they’re really close.” He let out angrily as he tried to force the driver out, but to no avail. Worse still was that the man didn’t have anything to cover himself with, so some of the droplets hit the man’s face, making his skin start to develop wrinkles, become more fragile and his hair started to become white. The blue-haired man turned his head around and saw the teen behind him, kneeling near the corpse. “REN!” He shouted in desperation, hoping the boy would help him.

“SHUT UP!” Don’t even breathe!!” Ren roared back at the man in a mix of anger and fear, his eyes widened, trying to cover the body with his own and covering his face with his right hand. _‘Shit, shit, shit…’_ Minato understood his message, covering his mouth and nose with one hand, his aging friend doing the same, but with both hands. The Odradek flashed red, showing a Shadow right beside Minato, who slightly turns to his right, having to contain a scared gasp at a groan near him. A handprint appears on the side of the truck, then another handprint lower, and one by one, they get closer to the two men. But, as it nears them, they keep going beside him, heading to the other side of the truck. Minato gives Ren a thumbs up to Ren, who nods and looks back at the body.

He looked at the shell in worry, noticing its necrosis was already advancing quickly. He clenched his left fist with all his strength, sighing in sorrow as he slowly stood up and moved near the earphone-wearing man, his leg still screaming at him to stop moving. As he moved, they hear a slow shuffling sound, which makes them all look towards the body. It started to move franctically, a golden mark resembling a mask materializing on its head as it kept moving. A black pool appears on the ground below the body, its retaining strands and the body itself being absorbed into the black mass, until it completely disappears, leaving only Chiralium in the the air as evidence that there was a body there. Then, the pool stops moving, as the previous Shadow’s handprints suddenly appear in front of Ren. He takes a step back but trips on a rock and falls, the handprints moving closer and closer to him. He moves back with his free hand, trying to regain his balance as he tried to not breathe too hardly, but to no avail. _‘I really hope I don’t die on my second encounter with these things… No… I_ won’t die! _’_ He thought with conviction as the handprints neared his injured leg before stopping. The driver Minato had been helping groaned at an attempt to save him, which made the Shadow turn to them.

Minato kept trying to help him with only one hand, but he quickly let go when the Odradek flashed in red, signaling more incoming Shadows, who quickly surrounded the driver. He looked at the man with slump shoulders as the beings grabbed him, making him gasp in fear, trying to get himself free as he writhed. The device flashes once again as more Shadows appear beside them as Minato stood beside Ren, looking at each other attentively. “We’re surrounded.” One of them whispers as the shadows manage to grab the driver, pulling him along the ground away from the two.

“HELP!” He shouted, desperately trying to cling to the ground. “HELP ME!” He shouted towards Minato, who regretfully looked down, grabbing his gun and pointing it to his partner, whose eyes widened.

 _“I’m sorry…”_ He mouths to the man as tears stream down his cheeks as he closes his eyes. A loud gunshot makes the body go limp as the Shadows let go of him, looking around for a while before leaving. Ren’s eyes widened as he looked to the blue-haired man’s face, noticing it was contorted and with tears. He turned to the man, slowly putting his hand on his shoulder as the usually stoic man shook.

“…” He stayed quiet before looking to the sky. “What a great friend I am… couldn’t even keep him safe…” He spoke in anger as Ren looked down then to the side, where the body was located. _‘How easily that could’ve been any one of us… we really are powerless to stop these things…_ ’ The boy thought as he shook too, only for the man to put his hand on his shoulder, making the frizzy-haired boy look to him as he gave a long sigh. “…still, we shouldn’t lose hope. He’d want us to move on, and we will. Soon enough, you’ll have a chance to help and connect people who can make our world better.” He suddenly explained in a more hopeful, but still hurting tone, confusing the boy, “Your journey is just starting. You will probably see your fair share of death and conflict… but never lose hope. Never lose your reason to live.” He explained seriously as Ren nodded, confusedly wondering what he meant with all of this, Minato smiling at him.

Suddenly, they hear a loud bang from the truck, both turning to its direction in defensive stances. They saw a humanoid silhouette appear from the middle of the vehicle, turning around to face them. It seemed like a person wearing a black mask, as it pointed behind the two men with widened eyes. The Odradek flashed orange and Minato’s BB started to move and cry, as the ground around them started turning into a pool of black water. The two porters gasped as they tried moving away.

[ **Chiral Carcass – Ludvig Forsell** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK_SJ23aMzA)

“Run, Ren!” The blue-haired man shouted at his companion, who nodded and looked around desperately, looking for an escape route as the older man looked at the device. “Even more of the bastards… and the area’s—“ They both suddenly lost their balance, as the water became less dense and buildings, cars, rocks and destroyed trains started to pop up from underneath the strange liquid. One of the buildings blocked their path. “Shit! See any way we can get outta here?” Minato spoke desperately as he struggled to stand up, Ren doing the same, looking to a small path forming from the hall of the building.

“Yeah! Follow me!” He commanded the man, who nodded as both ran through the building as it collapsed, the ceiling falling behind them. Ren looked to the side and saw another narrow path that lead to another building. “This way!” He guided as they ran to the other building, narrowly avoiding the debris. They sighed quickly, stopping to catch their breath, only to notice that the room they were in was starting to flood with water. “You seeing any platform nearby?” He asked the man, who looked around.

“There!” Minato pointed to a third building. Cars and rocks stuck out of it, serving as a very unconvenctional view.

“Good eye. We can climb up the cars and rocks to avoid the water and anything else. Come on!” Ren quickly formulated and explained his plan as they ran, going up the stairs to the second floor, stopping near the window. Ren looked down and saw the black liquid slowly creeping up to their level, lightly gulping at the idea of being fully swallowed by it. Suddenly, he saw Minato run and jump to the other side in his peripheral vision, grabbing the car and climbing it.

“It’s pretty stable. Come on!” He told the boy, who nodded and walked back, preparing to jump. At that moment, the blue-haired man saw Shadows nearing his partner. “RUN!” He commanded, to which Ren ran as fast as he could and jumped. He extended his hand, but it slipped through the car, and at that moment, he thought he would fall to that liquid, but Minato grabbed his hand and pulled him up. Ren panted and looked behind him, seeing the Shadows look at them with their soulless expression. He turned to the man he met only a few hours ago.

“Thank you.” He spoke sincerely, putting his hand on the man’s shoulder, who nodded.

“No problem. Now, let’s keep going before we die, too.” He said as they started jumping to the next impromptu platforms. A doubt filled Ren’s mind.

“Who the hell was that guy that just appeared on the truck?” He asked worriedly as he held onto dear life to a rock, his partner standing on the 5th floor of the building.

“Didn’t get a good look at him, but there’s no mistake on who he is. Calls himself Crow. He’s the leader of MEDJED, a terrorist group that targets mostly porters.” He explained seriously, helping Ren up the floor. They looked around before stopping, taking a moment to breathe. “We can rest for a few… I think.”

“MEDJED!?” Ren asked with wide eyes. “Most people say they’re urban legends to scare porters into doing their jobs well!” He continued, bewildered, as Minato shook his head.

“No, they’re real, alright. Everyone knows about terrorist groups dispersed here and there, but MEDJED has influence over all of them. If they need something done, they contact any group near their target and tell them to take care of it. For Crow to come after me, though… this situation is much more serious than I anticipated…” He explained to the boy, cracking his own neck and taking a deep breath.

“What situation? Did you do something to piss them off?” Ren asked in fear, as the man raised his hand, showing his wrist, which had a cuff link around it.

“Got some important info to deliver to the minister right here.” He said seriously, looking at his equipment and then at Ren. “This info could change the future. But if MEDJED wants us dead, then it means they have something sinister planned…” He explained seriously, his features showing confidence. “I’m a Velvet Porter. I will NOT fail on my mission, else I could never for-“ His eyes suddenly widened as he saw a small glint behind Ren, jumping on top of him as a bullet grazed his shoulder.

[ **Unforgiving Sands – Ludvig Forsell** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOsKKow_V_Q)

“WHAT THE HELL!?”

“GET UP AND RUN, DAMMIT!” Minato shouted quickly, helping Ren up to his feet as both ran as fast as they could, some of the bullets grazing them as they hissed in pain.

“LEAVE US ALONE!” The glasses boy shouted desperately at the person shooting at them, who kept relentlessly firing at them, as another building emerged from the water, Ren and Minato both jumping at its roof and quickly hiding behind a crumbled wall. They heard a splash of water and a thud. Ren looked toward their pursuer, who just stepped down from a rock, searching for them. He quickly hid again, his companion kneeling beside him.

“ _The bastard is blocking us from the incinerator._ ” Minato whispered to him. “ _Got any ideas so we can get past him?_ ” Ren looked to his sides and then quickly to the direction of their hunter, locating an abandoned package near him. In the split second he saw it, he could tell it had been quite old, but that it was heavy.

“ _There’s an abandoned package to your 7 o’clock._ ” The frizzy-haired boy whispered to his companion. “ _Since you’re stronger, hide near it and hit him over the head with it. We can then throw him off the building while he’s dizzy._ ” He explained confidently, to which his companion nodded.

“ _Good plan. All right, you’ll need to call his attention if he gets close to me so I can sneak attack him._ ” Minato noted, handing Ren his gun. “ _If things go south, do NOT be afraid to shoot him. I have some rope so we can tie the bastard up and throw him to make sure he’s down. We NEED to survive, understood?_ ” He asked the boy seriously, who grabbed the gun with shaking hands, nodding weakly. “ _It’s never easy to use that thing, but it’s necessary at times. Let’s go._ ” He said to the boy, quietly sneaking in the direction of the package, using any and all debris, walls or other packages as cover. He thanked the heavens that he was small and light, as those were huge advantages at the moment.

Ren quietly moves to the opposite side, keeping an eye on Crow, now noticing his mask had a large beak, similarly to medieval doctor masks… it certainly was a creepy look, as he nearly stumbled on a piece of debris. Suddenly, he heard a sound of a metallic clang from Minato’s direction and a gunshot followed immediately. Ren quickly stood up and pointed his gun in Crow’s direction. “I told you to leave us alone!” He said, shooting at him, hitting his right shoulder, as he grabbed it in pain. Right after that, Minato quickly emerged from his hiding spot and hit the man on the back of the head, knocking him out. They quickly tied him up and threw him off the building, as he splashed into the ominous liquid below them. Ren stumbled back and hit his back against a wall, breathing hard. Minato kneeled beside him.

“Hey, hey! Don’t lose it now!” He said to the boy, who had tears leaking out of his eyes.

“…did I just…?” He asked lowly, to which the man shook his head.

“Probably not. He has control over that stuff. He wouldn’t die to this.” He reassured the boy, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“…will I have to do more of this…?” Ren asked lowly, looking at the man, who sadly nodded. “I don’t want to kill anyone… I just want to help people…”

“I know.” Minato replied gently, looking to the side. “But… the only advice I can give you is to know when it’s better to value your life over the life of another. If you die… you won’t be able to help people.” He explained to the boy, who looked down at the ground again. His Odradek started flashing red once more as he hissed. “And I’m sorry, but we can’t stay here. We can talk about this more when we get somewhere safe, okay?” He asked the firzzy-haired boy, who slowly nodded. The man looked around and nodded. “Good. Now, that building over there can be our way outta this and lead us straight to the incinerator. When I say go, we run like hell, got it?” Ren nodded, standing up as they saw Shadows nearing them from behind. “RUN!” He yelled as they jumped to the other building, running across its rooftop and jumping to the ground, away from the liquid. They saw an intact building in the distance, and Ren pointed to it. “Yep, that’s the incinerator! Keep going!” Minato told him as they kept running, the Shadows slowly stopped following them and returned to the direction in which Crow had fallen. The two arrived at the incinerator about 5 minutes later, as both panted and sat down to rest.

 _‘What a day…’_ Ren thought as he breathed in and out slowly, attempting to calm his beating heart. He looked to the side and saw Minato sprawled on the ground, his eyes closed. “Minato!?” He asked worriedly as he neared the man, shaking him.

“I’m… fine, I’m fine…” He replied tiredly, taking deep breaths. “You… did a really good job, man…” He said as he gave the boy a light punch to the chest. “Though… I kinda wanna dose off and sleep forever…” He half-joked, to which Ren chuckled worriedly, having a bad feeling. Suddenly, he felt like his left hand on top of Minato’s bicep was warm, and he noticed… blood. The metallic sound he heard was the bullet passing through Minato and hitting the metallic wall behind him.

[ **Low Roar – Easy way out** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lGT-lW4YzE)

“Oh, no, no, no, no, no! Minato, why didn’t you say anything!?” He desperately said as he covered his partner’s wound with his black jacket. “You’re losing a lot of blood! Just… *sob* hang on a moment! I’m gonna… call someon-“

Minato grabbed his hand fiercely, but gently. “Too late… I guess…” He said weakly, becoming paler and paler. “Anyone you call won’t… arrive in time… and we’re the only ones here…” He said lowly as Ren clutched his chest, his tears flowing through his face. He didn’t know this man well, but… losing him felt like losing a part of himself. He desperately clinged to him, hoping he could somehow heal him… “Hey…” He called to the boy, who looked at him with red eyes. “I know… you think you can’t change anything… especially considering what’s happening to me… but you can help humanity… connect with them… as long as you hope to.”

“What do you mean!? How can I be hopeful if two people already died on my first day here!?” Ren shouted at the man, who chuckled.

“That is a good point… but if hope dies, we all do.” He told his partner as he looked directly into his eyes. “You’ve been seeing some strange things these days… things you don’t understand… but you will soon… with the help of this guy.” He says as he points to the BB, Ren slowly disconnecting it from him and looking at him. “He’s a living creature… a sensitive one…” He said as he weakly took off his cufflink. “Finish this delivery… wait for them here-“ He coughed violently as Ren stood beside him motionless, feeling useless. Minato smiled at him and tried to speak once more, but no words would leave his mouth. He points to the incinerator with his left hand. Ren nods solemly as the man places his right hand over the boy’s heart, lightly grasping it before his hand falls limp and his peaceful eyes lose their color and shine.

“…Minato…” The frizzy-haired boy comments lightly, lightly shaking the man. “…I’m sorry…” He says as he hugs the body, shaking as his emotions take the better of him as he screams in anger and sadness, his cry muffled by the cloth that once belonged to Minato Arisato. He stood motionless for a few moments that felt much longer, aching at the death of this near stranger. When he composed himself, he found a body bag near the incinerator. He places his companion’s body in it and places the bag on the incinerator, giving it one last look before activating it, looking to the sky with pain and regret. A single thought ran through his head, though… it wasn’t his thought. He heard a deep voice, one he never heard before, which calmly and firmly stated:

_Your contract has begun._

###  **CHAPTER 4: A CORPSE II**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last song that I added is from the game ver. So here is the real ver with the artist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_lyQ-OCIYs
> 
> I'm still making my way to get this project alive. So expect more.
> 
> I'm gonna make this a bi-weekly series for a way to try and update it without heating my brain over the craziness that you guys are gonna see.
> 
> Don't worry you would understand it. 
> 
> Thanks again to @Real_Ian_MD for helping me to correct errors and add fresh things.


	5. A Corpse III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being late.  
> I got this chapter ready during my college exams.  
> But I didn't post it for being occupied. 
> 
> Well, here it is. I got a few adding with the songs that I found a way to post it.  
> Don't worry if you don't want to hear it. That's your choice.

**Okumura’s Timefall farm – Present day**

“-and Okumura foods is raising its production goals.” Haru told Makoto happily after she changed to a pink, long sleeve jacket with the brand’s logo stamped on the back, a grey skirt and a white pantyhose for her to look presentable while also being practical. Makoto took a deep breath, enjoying the aroma of the coffee and of the plants surrounding them as Haru took her cup and took a bite out of her plate before continuing. “All of this to expand our brand, which means we need more personel to work, and more access to other districts. So, our main objective at the moment is to hire porters!” She explained happily, which made Makoto smile.

 _‘She seems confident in her plan. I’m happy that she’s managing to make people eat healthy again despite the strand.’_ She thought happily, giggling at her friend’s proposal. “I’m happy for you, Haru. Each step of the way isn’t easy, but you still persevere!” She put down her cup with a smile. “NIIJIMA EXPRESS could handle more of your deliveries and I’d be glad to help you build a better tomorrow." Makoto moved a strand of her hair to her ear and took her cup, but noticed it was empty. Her floofy-haired friend giggled.

“Here, Mako-chan.” She poured more coffee into her friend’s cup. “I deeply thank you for your help, Mako-chan. Connecting the people is an extremely important job we should do, but it’s dangerous nonetheless.” Haru then looked at her cufflink “Despite that, being a free spirit must be quite exilirating and fun! I wish I could go with you, but if father found out through the security cameras that I snuck out…” She said lowly, looking down to the ground, as the headband girl noticed the many cameras around the facility observing them. Many more than you’d expect from a place like this.

“Your father seems a bit… overprotective.” She thought aloud, remembering about her own father. More specifically, about a time when she was 4 when it started to rain. She saw the droplets outside and wanted to play under them, so she tried to stick her hand out to let it touch her skin, only for her father to grab her hand fiercely. She angrily asked him why he stopped her, which lead to him explaining what would happen if she were to stand under the Timefall. This experience sticked with her for her whole life, teaching her to always stay on your toes and to pay attention. She told herself that Haru’s father must have had the same line of thought… though the cameras didn’t add up. “But you can still go to the district and a bit beyond that, right?” She asked hopefully, which managed to lift her friend’s spirits, if only a little bit.

“Yeah.” She replied melancholically, which made Makoto open her mouth to reply, but Haru continued. “I always felt that working on growing vegetables for the district is fulfilling my grandfather’s wish, slowly but surely. Father, however, doesn’t seem too interested in this business to help everyone else, but to create an empire… he even wants to arrange a marriage for me…” She continued with a tone of disgusting, rubbing her hands together in frustration, which made her friend look at her worriedly. “I do want to marry someday… but with someone who I have picked. Someone who would support me and let me be who I am.” She sighed and put her hands on the table. “I had an epiphany recently, Mako-chan. I noticed that I would love to make a restaurant or coffee shop with the ingredients we grow here. We would have a comfortable environment for costumers and some of the best food in the business. It would be wonderful.”

“It really would. I know I would frequent it as much as I could.” She supported her friend, who giggled sadly.

“Thank you. But if my father wants to make a thriving food empire and wants me to marry someone simply to expand it… then my dream will never become a reality. Which sounds incredibly selfish on my end, but… I do feel like it would make more good than what my father has in store…”

“So… the man who came here before… he’s your betroth- the one chosen for you?” Makoto asked awkwardly, hoping this wouldn’t make her friend uncomfortable.

“That man is from a family my father’s making business with. He’s… not the best at flirting…” She said as she gripped her thighs. “He came primarily to make a delivery, but I asked him to send a message to my father last time he came here.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, did he reply?” The brunette asked curiously as her friend shook her head.

“Not yet… and there is something that has been bothering me. Father’s been absent for three months, right when he told me about a new business he was planning for the company.” She explained as her voice cracked, taking a sip of her tea. “All things considered… both members of our family haven’t been present recently, correct?” She guessed melancholically, to which Makoto nodded.

“Unfortunately, yes… I sent her an e-mail yesterday, but no reply yet…” She then sighed as the realization of her and Haru’s situation dawned on her. “She simply… left. And I’m not fully sure why. No explanation given… but… I still want her to be safe. To at least hear an ‘I’m okay’ from her…” She explained and drank the rest of her coffee.

Haru extended her hand and held her friend’s. “I know it doesn’t mean much, considering out situation, but… you’re not alone, Mako-chan.” She said softly as she stood up and moved to sit beside her friend, putting her other hand on her shoulder. “If you ever need someone to talk to or help, be sure to call me. I’ll be here. And as for our families… we have to believe they’re okay. It’s… all we can do.” Makoto looked at her friend with warm eyes and a weak nod, but her mind replayed her last conversation with her sister, almost as a rebuttal. Everrything her sister did to her that night was painful and rash. Berrating her in front of everyone at the company, leaving her to take care of herself with no true guidance, leaving her to take care of the company right after calling her _useless_ … what if… what if she had done just like Dad, and went out to help someone else only to abandon her?

_‘NO! That can’t be. We may have our differences… but Sis would never abandon me. She’s gonna be back… and we’re gonna talk about all of this… I hope…’_

“Changing from such a gloomy topic… you were on Yogen taking errands?” The fluffy-haired girl snapped the brunette from her thoughts, making her focus on the present again. She nodded. “If you don’t mind me asking, errands of what kind?”

“Oh, well… just delivering some packages, training my Jump ability in the cave close to Yogen… and… I met a brand new porter. One who happened to find his way into the cave I was about to train in.” Makoto explained normally, though Haru could tell that her eyes changed when talking about the porter.

“Porter? Did you recognize him?” She asked quietly, to which her friend shook her head. She thought about the info her friend just told her before speaking once more. “ I heard rumors about a new porter infected with DOOMS. Would this porter you met… happen to be him?” Haru asked in a mix of curiousity and worry.

Makoto’s face stayed neutral, but her mind started racing. _‘Should I tell her about him?’_. She trusted Haru enough to tell her the truth, but she didn’t know how she would take this news. _‘Haru isn’t the type to gossip, but if word got out about him… would his reputation be damaged?’_ She thought about this for a few seconds before taking a deep breath “Well… this porter has an interesting predicament to face and quite the potential behind him. Though…he could be a problem or be in trouble.”

“How so?” Haru said confused.

“Well… as far as first impressions go, all of his actions so far have been to help the district.” She said calmly, looking out through the window and seeing a farmer grabbing a flower pod and taking it inside. It reminded her of her encounter with Ren, which made her smile. “He took a job of delivering packages to preppers, and he seems confident and kind. I just hope that he doesn’t get harassed for his condition…” She admitted with a small smile. _‘Well, I think that’s the best way I can describe him. Though.. he is quite cute and charming as well, with a very fit-_ Makoto then remembered him being shirtless and blushed. _‘Wait, why did I think about that?!’_

“Mako-chan, are you ok?” Haru asked worriedly. “Your face suddenly turned red! Are you sick, perhaps?”

“Eh…?!” She rubbed her head, attempting to cleanse her mind. “O-oh, I-I’m ok… coffee…!” She attempt to create an excuse as she reprimanded herself, noting how she shouldn’t think of him that way. Haru looked at her cryptically, but shrugged her shoulders.

“If you say so, Mako-chan. Getting back to the topic at hand… you seem to have quite a lot of opinions regarding the new porter.” Haru told the brunette as she calmed herself.

“Oh! Umm...Well, it’s just…*sigh* I took my bike to a cave I know near a cliff so I could train my Jump. While there, I had to try and hide from some Shadows, which made me forget about the rain. Lucklily, he was headed to a café Leblanc in Yongen-Jaya and took my bike into the cave to preserve it.” Makoto explained with a regained composure. “I’m thankful that he didn’t let the Timefall destroy it… I think I’d die if something happened to it… He also helped me carry my cargo to the waystation. He seems to be a good person, and to be dedicated at his tasks.” She finished explaining calmly as Haru listened intently.

“I am glad that he made a good first impression.” She said happily, mentally thanking the boy for helping her friend. “That was quite a gentle thing for him to do.”

“Yeah, I thought the same thing.” She commented happily as she remembered her reassuring him the day before about helping him, and his genuine, thankful smile at her. She just noticed that he had quite the beautiful smile.

Haru sighed and looked at her friend seriously. “You said he was headed to a café Leblanc?” She asked seriously, to which Makoto nodded. “If that’s the case… I have a request for you, Mako-chan. An investigation, if you will…” She offered partially seriously, partially embarrassedly, which made the red-eyed girl wonder what this was all about. “Could you come with me to Yongen-Jaya?” She asked quickly, which perplexed her friend.

“Um, ok? Of course I can go with you. Is this business-related?” She asked curiously, to which her friend shook her head.

“No, it isn’t an official investigation…” She said shyly as her friend looked at her, still confused, which made her sigh before continuing. ”I-I want to head over to café Leblanc to taste their coffee.”

“You…want to go to Leblanc?” The fluffy-haired girl nodded. “Are you meaning to ask for the owner’s advice ?”

“Yes and no.” She replied quicky before regaining her composure. “I want to taste the quality of their coffee and to see how they grow their beans.” Makoto still didn’t understand her friend’s reasoning for this, but it seemed Haru could read her mind, as her next sentence cleared her doubts. “Leblanc is talked about as almost a myth due to the fact that they grow their beans themselves despite the Strand and despite its larget competitors. I’d like to know how they manage to stay in business with the scales tipped against them, that’s all.” She said as she put her hand on her chin, deep in thought.

“I had no idea they grew their own beans… with a mystery like that, of course I’ll go with you.” She said excitedly, remembering that Ren told her that he was to stay there under the protection of a caretaker. _‘I wonder… should I present myself as a friend?’_

_Pi-Pi-Pi-Pi!_

The codec’s sound startled the two as Makoto picked it up. “Please excuse me.” She asked calmly as her friend nodded. She stands up from her bench and moves to a corner close to the garden hut.

“Niijima here…” Haru hears her speak, looking over the garden with a small smile that quickly vanished as she heard her caller speak. “Understood. I’ll be there soon.” She hung up and sighed.

“Well, the company needs me. About your request, I think we could go one of these days. You definitely picked my interest with that mystery.” Makoto said with a bit of energy as Haru smiled and hugged her friend.

“Thank you, Mako-chan!” Makoto didn’t say anything but reciprocates the gesture by hugging her back. “It will be nice to spend some time with you without worrying about work.”

“Agreed. It’ll be fun.” Makoto affirms with a nod and lets her friend go, only for her to grab her hand and lead her to the entrance, making the red-eyed girl smile. “When you’re ready to leave, just text me, ok?”

“Yeah. I’ll see you soon.” Haru nodded at her and let her hand go, watching her friend run to her bike, turn on its engine and put on her helmet. She waved back at the fluffy-haired girl and sped off into the horizon.

“Haru-san.” Takeshi called out to her, prompting her to turn around with a curious gaze. “About our business with that man-”

“I still refuse.” Haru interrupted him swiftly. “I’m not gonna give up on mine and Grandfather’s dream. For me to focus on business with _him_ would mean sacrificing that dream, and I will not do it.” Her decisiviness surprised the butler, who watched her with an intrigued look.

“Are you sure?” He asked worriedly, to which she nodded.

“Yes, and that’s final.” He nodded at her remark, bowing at her with a small smirk.

“Well, then, I shall bother you with this no longer. If you ever need anything, Lady Haru, then I shall comply.” She smiled at her butler, happy that she had someone else despite her friend she could rely on.

“I need to thank you for all the work you have done, Takeshi-san. I’m glad you’re by my side.” She spoke as she turned around to work, giving him a small nod.

“The pleasure is mine, milady.” He replied contently, following her into the building.

**Incinerator south of Yogen-Jaya - Present day**

Ren looked around in a mix of confusion and grief. Why did a voice suddenly speak to him? Why right after he had to… cremate his partner?! “Is-is anaybody here?!” He spoke loudly, sacredly looking around. _‘And… what was that about a contract?_ ’ He thought quickly, but said thoughts were interrupted by someone crying. He looked to the side and saw his dead partner’s BB crying loudly, looking at the boy with half-closed eyes. The gray-eyed boy scooted over to the BB’s side and put a hand on the glass, trying to communicate to the BB that he’d be there for him. He stayed quiet for a moment, hoping he’d be able to calm the BB down and himself… he wasn’t expecting to see someone dei in front of him right as he got here! He didn’t know how to feel, but that didn’t make his heartbeat slow down at any moment… He looked at the small human in the pod and smiled. “I-I’m happy you’re here, at least… nothing will happen to you, I promise.” He told the infant in a mix of certainty and fear, as the child looked at him curiously. He picked them up and placed them on his chest.

_Pi-Pi-Pi-Pi!_

_‘Great, great, great…! Why now?!’_ He thought desperately, noticing he still had some tears on his cheeks. He wiped them off and took a deep breath, finally picking up the call. “H-hello. A-Amamiya here…” He said weakly, cussing in his mind.

 _“ Hey, Kid, it’s Sojiro. How’s it going over there?” _Sojiro’s gruff voice asked nonchalantly, making Ren freeze. _‘…shit.’_

He wondered if he should lie or tell the truth… _‘One step at a time… let me see how he reacts…’_ “Honestly… not good.”

 _“ Did… something happen with your partner?”_ The middle-aged man asked with a tinge of worry, while the glasses-wearing boy nodded, even though his contact wouldn’t see it.

After his nod, he stayed quiet for a moment, as memories of his previous incident came back to him. He wondered… would Sojiro blame this on him, as did the people of his hometown…? If he did… would MAMA, too? Would-

He shook his head. _‘I… can’t know what they’ll assume off of this… but I do need to honor my partner’s request. So… I’ll tell Soijro… for Minato’s sake…_ ’ He took a deep breath and started to talk once more. “He… and our driver… didn’t make it…” He said shamefully, processing the events that lead up to this moment…

_“ Jesus Christ, are you all right? What happened?”_ The man replied worriedly, an action that surprised the boy. _‘He’s…not blaming this on me…?_ ’ _“ Ren, are you there? Answer me!”_ He interrupted Ren’s thoughts, as the boy shook his head.

“I-I’m here.” He reassured the man, walking to the entrance of the incinerator and looking to the horizon. “It’s… a long story, but to make it shorter, we were attacked by Shadows in the middle of the road, one thing lead to another… and…” He couldn’t finish the sentence. He heard a sigh from his codec.

 _“ I knew delivering a corpse sounded risky, I knew it!” _The man cursed aloud, surprising “the Fool”.

“Wait….did you hear us talk about it?!”

 _“ You two aren’t the most silent people out there… even Wakaba heard you.” _Ren slapped his face in embarrassment, making a mental note to be more discreet next time he discussed a delivery… _if_ he managed to get out of here… _“ I’m assuming you’re at the incinerator right now?”_

The young porter sighed and grabbed his back, strapping it to his back. “Yup. But… my day’s not over yet.” He said as he looked at his partner’s cufflink, noting the info displayed on the screen: the loss of their cargo and equipment. “I need to make one final stop before coming back.”

He heard his guardian sigh. _“ ‘Kid, you gotta be careful. **Velvet** deliveries are always really risky.” _

_‘Yeah, I noticed…’_ The boy thought sadly, before shaking his head and finally asking what he’d meant to ask for quite a while now:

“What even _is_ the Velvet, Sakura-san?” He asked calmly. He had to wait a few seconds to receive a reply.

 _“ They’re a special group of porters that work for the Minister of Japan. Each delivery they make is top secret, but they’re all supposedly to ‘unite the people’.”_ The man explained to the boy, who felt a bit proud and weirded out by this revelation. For one, if this did help unite people, then he was working for a very good cause… but why him? Why would they pick a shunned and cast out porter for this job like himself?

“Why me? I don’t think my profile is that of someone who would work closely with the government...” He wondered aloud, hearing a small ‘hm’ from the other side of the line.

 _“ Maybe because you’re expendable, maybe because you have potential. Either way, they don’t make these decision with no forethought.”_ He said calmly… but the Trickster felt like there was something the man wasn’t telling him. He decided to take care of him, for God’s sake! He had to know _something_ more.

“Boss… I’m very sorry if this comes off as rude, but is there anything you’re not telling me?” He asked in the most calm tone he could, but he felt part of of voice cracked at one moment.

 _“ If you wanna know if I’m affiliated with them, I’m not. But they did tell me about your situation, and I was the only one in the region who even heard what they had to say. Most people just hung up when they heard your name.” _Ren felt a pang in his chest, knowing that everyone had already discarded him without him even knowing. But this revelation only brought about more questions… why did Sojiro take him in? What was Minato supposed to deliver? Would he be able to even _talk_ to people in this region? Did he really have potential, or was Sojiro just guessing? Was that Makoto girl involved in all of this some way?

 _‘Argh, focus, Ren! Now you’re going too far!”_ He shook his head and looked at the cufflink, checking its info once more. It showed the packages that were delivered and the one that still needed to be delivered. The delivery properties of the remaining package caught his attention. _‘Memories? Maybe something to do with the terrorists?’_ He then looked at the BB that he attached to his chest with a small smile. _‘That’s right… he did tell me you had the answers I needed. Can you tell me something, anything?’_ As if the BB understood him, they touched the protective glass with their little finger, and it jolted his mind, almost as if he received a very stronger thunder bolt to the head. _‘This delivery was a distraction… to send a message through a tarot card?! WHAT?!’_ His mind raced as this and more pieces of information began to plant themselves into his mind like fresh memories…

 _“ Hey, kid, you still there?!”_ Sojiro’s voice broke his thoughts and he weakly nodded.

“Y-Yeah… but something weird just happened.” He started quietly, but stopped to think. Was it common for BBs to communicate with porters…? Should he tell Sojiro about this? “So, uh… I think I found out _why_ we were delivering a dead body…” The silence on the other side of the line made him imagine Boss’ eyes looking at him, edging him to go on. He decided against telling the man about his weird BB link. “The cufflink’s telling me the body and package weren’t the main objectives in this delivery… but info that we were meant to transmit to someone… or something that could help bring the world to peace.” He heard Boss sigh once more.

 _“ So you risked your lives to deliver… a message? And world peace? Sorry, but kid, with the way you’re speaking right now, it kinda seems like you went there for nothing!”_ The man said angrily, but moreso at the people who sent Ren the task, and not Ren himself…

The boy sighed, unsure of how to explain the sudden surge of information he received to the man. “I-I’m not really sure, Boss… I feel like there is something more to this… give me a moment.” _‘Oh, man… how to tell him…’_ He thought as he looked at the information tab on his BB’s pod. Most of it seemed like gibberish to him, but he did pick up on some details. _‘BB-P05… such a bad name for this little guy-‘_ He thought before the baby flipped upsite down on the pod, making him giggle, before… _‘Wait… it’s a girl!’_ He noticed in awe, smiling at the girl. _‘Didn’t think Minato would carry around a little girl with him. Heh… shows we don’t really know someone completely.’_ He felt a sudden burst of happiness, as he saw the small baby girl smile at him, making him smile more. _‘Well, we_ are _connected. I gotta think of a better name for you later, little one!’_ He tapped on the glass gently before checking the status screen once more, hoping to find some useful info. _‘Energy/Stress levels: 95%?! Why group these stats together?! What does it mean?! Status: Alive…’_ He looked at the baby and smiled, seeing her look at him and then around them room. _‘Can’t deny that. Unless she’s allergic to something, she’ll keep on living. Let’s see… description! Finally something more concrete!’_ He read the passage quickly, before stopping and reading it again slowly, wondering if he read it right.

 **_Description:_ ** _WC for the next Trickster. Must have a **settled contract**._

_‘ **Settled contract**?!’_ He remembered the deep voice, and suddenly, his mind spun in circles. How could a voice he heard _in his mind_ have _any_ sort of connection to the real world?! Was this a connection or had he gone off the deep end? He decided to continue to talk to Boss to make sure he wasn’t dreaming or hallucinating. “Boss?” He asked aloud, looking at Minato’s BB. When he heard the man reply with a distant ‘hm?’, he continued. “Hey! Listen, could you turn on Leblanc’s BB incubator? I wanna test something.” He hoped the man wouldn’t ask many questions, as he wanted to know more about the BB…

 _“ Sure, hold-wait a second, why? Don’t tell me you’re planning to test something with that porter’s BB!”_ The man spoke sternly, almost reading the boy’s mind, who nodded meekly. _“ Goddammit… I’m gonna sound like a monster for saying this, but Ren, you need to burn it. A BB that’s been disconnected from its master needs to be decommissioned.”_

Ren froze completely. _‘You need to burn it’_. The words echoed in his mind almost as violently as the crash he endured a few moments ago. “BURN HER?!” He shouted at the top of his lungs, making the café owner cover his ears quickly. The boy continued in the same tone. “But she’s a living person! Why should I-“

 _“ Because it needs to be decommissioned! And a BB can be repaired.”_ The man sighed and rubbed his eyes as he didn’t want to deal with this. _“ Listen, kid, a BB is a tool used to survive Shadow encounters. You’re not meant to have a bond with them, and they’re made for this purpose and this purpose only. You need to get over it.”_

“I won’t get over _her_. She’s a human being, Boss!” He roared back at his guardian, instinctively placing a hand on the pod. “I don’t care what purpose she was created to fulfill, we should treat her as one of our own.”

The black-haired man sighed. _“ Kid, I _just told you _this is not a normal infant. If you don’t execute it, you could be punished for it. It ain’t easy, but it’s necessary. Also, do make sure to come back, as it’s getting pretty late and I have to close up shop later on._ _”_ He said in a worried tone, making the boy sigh, feeling conflicted as he looked at the BB, who looked at him curiously. He gave her a sad look, before turning to Sojiro once more.

“Ok… but I still have a delivery to make before then. After that, I’ll go to Leblanc.” He declared firmly, turning to check if the terminal was in good condition to be used once more, a thought that made his stomach turn. Right then, however, a loud **_CRACK_** echoed across the building, immediately turning off all the lights, as Ren heard the splitter-splatter of the Timefall outside.

_‘What timing! Is this luck, or…?’_ He suddenly felt a chill down his spine, quickly heading to the window to look outside. They weren’t the cleanest windows out there… but he could see through them, at least. _‘Why didn’t the weather system notify me of the Timefall?’_ He thought worriedly, seeing a Shadow quickly approach him from the field, as he tensed up and his Odradek blared up, as hands materialized on the wall. Immediately after that, though, right as the hand was about to touch his foot, the facility’s power came back on, prompting the hands to disappear.

 _“ Kid?! Hey, Kid?!”_ The worried voice rang from his Odradek, prompting him to look at it once more with an apologetic look.

“I’m okay! Just a blackout. Sorry for worrying you…” He scratched his neck, seeing the hologram sigh.

 _“ Thank God. Wakaba would kill me if something happened to you.”_ The man commented relieved, making the boy give him a partially shocked look, before he continued. _“ Kid, you better watch out. The timefall’s raising the Chiralium density. It’d be best if you came back as soon as you can. What’s your status?”_

The boy looked around the area, to the BB girl he held and out of the window, seeing many of the marked hands on the gloor.. “My status… is not the greatest there is. A lot of Shadows nearby…” He took a deep breath before smirking. “Please don’t scold me too hard if I die, Mama Sojiro.” He joked lightly, making the man groan.

 _“ Oh, god. You’re one of _those _. As much as I appreciate you trying to make me feel better, now’s **not** the time for jokes! Focus on getting out of there._ _”_ _‘Ok, he can_ kinda _take a joke… that’s good…?’_

“I’m trying to think of something, but… there are a lot more Shadows here than I have seen in my short lifetime…” He held his breath, thinking there was a Shadow beside him, but it was his mind playing tricks on him. He looked around worriedly, wondering what he could use. His gaze settled on the main object of the room. “Hey, Boss, can I somehow use the incinerator to my advantage?” He asked quietly, mentally slapping himself right after the question, realizing how dumb it was.

 _“ I’m not sure… it’s infamous due to many porters using it to cremate bodies early… so it’s got a bad rep around it. Especially since this specific one has been involved in some accidents.”_ Ren nodded, keeping this advice close to heart while also wondering why Minato chose this place... he shuddered when he remembered that he had cremated said man in that incinerator right beside him, shaking his head and keeping the thought away, turning to Sojiro’s hologram.

“So… I’m surrounded and there’s only one exit. Is there any scenario where I make it out alive?” The frizzy-haired boy’s voice cracked at the question, making the older man think hard, clearly trying to remember if he had any useful info to give to his protectee.

 _‘ Argh… oh! There is one thing you could try. A specific route to save you.”_ That sentence made the boy and his BB smile relievedly, hope returning to their hearts. He sensed the Shadows nearing him, but he knew that as long as he didn’t make any noise, he’d be relatively safe…

 _“ Look out the front door. There should be a road up ahead.”_ The boy nodded, seeing the road they were in just a few minutes ago. _“ If you follow it for a while, it’ll curve towards Yongen. It’s not a very long walk, but the Shadows won’t make it easy. Be quiet, sense their position and don’t do anything stupid, and you should be back in one piece.”_ The gray-eyed boy noted how direct Sojiro’s instructions were, grateful for that in this moment. He took a deep breath, watching the road, the Shadows and his BB, then nodding.

“Okay… I should be able to do this…” He spoke with wavering resolve, trying to sense the number of Shadows surrounding him, until… his gaze landed on the BB. Of course, he could sense them naturally, but the BB would allow him to actually see them, taking away their advantage over him. This realization made him smirk.

“Actually, scratch that. I _will_ be able to do this.” He said confidently, placing his hand on the BB’s pod, making her look at him curiously.

 _“ Huh…? Wait… kid, don’t tell me you plan on using that BB!”_ The café owner said in awe, wondering how audacious that boy was.

“I mean, yeah. If I don’t use her, we won’t be able to see, and we’d be left in the lurch.” He reasoned with his Guardian, only for him to shake his head.

 _“ For the love of… listen to me. That BB _does not work _. You saw it fail with Minato!_ _”_ The man pleaded, but Ren didn’t listen, carefully looking out of the building and grabbing the tube in his suit designated to the BB’s pod. _“ Kid, don’t try it! If you lose consciousness now, you’re dead!_ _”_

“I know that! I know this is a gamble... but I don’t have any other cards to play!” He said seriously, taking a deep breath and connecting the tube to the pod, while Sojiro watched with crossed arms and a worried expression. “Don’t let me down, little girl…” He said quietly, gently placing his hand over the pod, as the BB placed her small hand on the same spot. He felt a weird sense of peace from that small gesture… it made him smile.

Right before a splitting headache brought him to his knees as he did his best to hold in a painful scream. It felt like his skull could crack at any moment…

_-/-_

_An alarm blared loudly, piercing his ears. He attempted to cover them… but couldn’t. He was somehow in a place he had never seen before-_

_Right then and there, he saw a man slowly standing up. He seemed seriously injured, barely managing to stay afoot, as his body and eyes showed that all hope within him had died. He attempted to reach out to him._

_Only to hear someone else speak to that person. “I’m sorry, Captain.”_ _He heard the voice say calmly, before a bright flash of white filled his vision…_

_-/-_

…returning him to his body. He widened his eyes and breathed heavily, feeling light-headed and weirdly out of place.

 _“- kid! KID!”_ Sojiro’s voice rang through his aching ears, prompting him to squeeze his eyes and nod.

“I-I’m here…” He said weakly, slowly standing up, noticing his hand was still on the pod as the BB looked at him with a small smile. _‘What the hell…?!’_

 _“ **That’s** what I was warning you about! You’re lucky you didn’t pass out. You’ll feel like shit for a good while, so get used to that feeling if you really wanna have a chance of living another day.”_ The goatee man scolded the boy, who weakly nodded, shaking aside his questions of what was happening to him and focusing on the road ahead. He could see the Shadows wandering around now, and while there were a lot of them, he felt like he could pass them nearly unnoticed if he was careful. He looked at the BB and then at Sojiro and nodded.

“Understood. I’m coming home, Sojiro.”

###  **CHAPTER 5: CORPSE III**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Audio links on youtube:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HEzo1LwevA&ab_channel=LOWROARMUSIC  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGcityhhVtM&ab_channel=LudvigForssell-Topic  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nvGaG3BZJQ&ab_channel=LudvigForssell-Topic  
> Bridges corp. I didn't find a good link but I find it on this video 23:16: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QYJXqh-GGE&t=3517s&ab_channel=YoRHa2BAngel  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSMkc7M-XgI&ab_channel=LudvigForssell-Topic  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLMqgqyiut4&ab_channel=LudvigForssell-Topic  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKi4NdbjIi8&ab_channel=LudvigForssell-Topic
> 
> Thanks for reading.
> 
> A comment is welcome and appreciated.
> 
> Twitter: @JostineKyok14
> 
> Thanks again to @Real_Ian_MD for helping me.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading.
> 
> A kudo and a comment is welcome and appreciated.
> 
> Twitter: @JostineKyok14


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